PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Caribbean Airlines applied for and was granted an injunction by the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago on August 21, 2023, which restricts the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) and its membership from taking industrial action within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act of Trinidad and Tobago Chapter 88:01 including calling in sick en masse.
The injunction further restricts those pilots who engaged in industrial action by calling in sick en masse, from further doing so. Finally, the injunction further ordered TTALPA to instruct its membership to immediately report for duty as rostered and required in the normal course of their employment with Caribbean Airlines.
Caribbean Airlines sought the support of the Industrial Court after receiving calls from 75 pilots between August 19 and 20, 2023, each indicating they were unwell and unable to report for duty. The airline received each of these calls around three hours before the scheduled departure times of the respective flights.
The actions by these pilots to call in sick directly caused the airline to cancel over 60 international and domestic flights.
In light of the impact on our customers, Caribbean Airlines moved quickly to recover by pursuing alternatives and leased charters to transport the displaced passengers on the international and regional routes. The Port of Port of Spain assisted the airline’s domestic operations, by adding a special ferry sailing which took passengers to and from Tobago.
Due to the high volume of calls being received by our Call Center, customers are asked to kindly update their contact information to receive automatic notifications about their flights.
The airline is currently working assiduously to restore its operations.
Caribbean Airlines wholeheartedly apologizes to its customers and stakeholders and thanks the public for their support and understanding as the company works through these challenges.
