Last Updated on Saturday, 28 June 2014, 12:05 by GxMedia
More than 100 passengers are stranded in the United States (US) after enduring an hours-long delay to arrive there on Friday aboard Dynamic Airways’ inaugural flight to New York.
Authorities at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) have ordered the airline grounded until Tuesday because of problems with the way the New York-based baggage handler has been processing passengers’ baggage.
Passengers in the US are being told that tentatively the airline could resume its scheduled service on Tuesday. Roraima Airways, the local partner, has advised that it would be making alternative arrangements to place passengers on other carriers.
The problems all began to unravel quietly during Thursday when Roraima Airways, the local partner, began informing passengers that the flight of New York would have arrived late due to poor weather conditions in the US. Later, no further excuses were given. Finally, the flight arrived in Guyana about 7 PM and outgoing passengers were advised that they would leave Guyana at 1 AM Friday.
While there were murmurs that the flight would have instead departed at 4 AM, it was not until after 2 AM that an announcement to that effect was made on the intercom at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. With no further announcements made, eventually passengers were told to board the plane shortly before 5 AM.
After touching down at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, passengers again suffered another delay because there were improper arrangements for the aircraft to dock at a jet bridge through which the passengers would have disembarked. Instead, they left the aircraft on airs-stair under tight security. Several vehicles and personnel cordoned off the aircraft while the passengers entered a shuttle bus which was then escorted by security to an entrance to the airport building. There, passengers were greeted by a sniffer dog, undoubtedly looking for drugs from the South American country.
None of the passengers was intercepted with drugs. Roraima Group of Companies, known for its robust media and public relations, has not issued an official statement on the reasons for the problems affecting Dynamic whose in-flight service was reasonable.
