Cayman Airways has cancelled its Jamaica flights on Thursday as an ongoing strike by air traffic controllers there prompted the closure of Jamaican airspace.
In statement Thursday afternoon, CAL said due to the strike it has had to cancel flights to and from Jamaica.
“Passengers on the affected flights (KX 604 and KX 605) will be rescheduled for travel [Friday] May 13. But flights for [Friday] are also tentative and are dependent on the Air Traffic Control Operations in Jamaica having returned to normalcy by then,” CAL said in its statement.
CAL said affected passengers from KX 604 and KX 605 are being notified directly with information on their replacement flights. Reports out of Jamaica stated that the air traffic controllers walked off the job Thursday morning leading to cancellation of flights. Those already in transit were forced to either divert to Miami or return.
A Jamaica Gleaner report stated that the absence of controllers forced the suspension of services at Sangster and Norman Manley International airports as of 10am Thursday.
“Both airports were advised of the development this morning by a letter signed by Howard Greaves, director, air traffic management at the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA,)” the article said.
According to the Gleaner, “air traffic controllers have been at odds with the Ministry of Finance for the last three months owing to a fallout in salary negotiations”.
It said 28 flights that had been scheduled to arrive at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, have been cancelled due to the industrial action by air traffic controllers.
The flight numbers and times expected to operate on 13 May are as follows:
Originally Scheduled Flights:
KX 600 departs Grand Cayman at 7.10am and arrives in Kingston at 8.15am.
KX 601 departs Kingston at 9.20am and arrives in Grand Cayman at 10.35am.
KX 606 departs Grand Cayman at 5.35pm and arrives in Kingston at 6.45pm.
KX 607 departs Kingston at 7.50pm and arrives in Grand Cayman at 9.05pm.
Newly scheduled (additional) Flight:
KX 3600 departs Grand Cayman at 12.40pm and arrives in Kingston at 1.45pm.
KX 3601 departs Kingston at 2.45pm and arrives in Grand Cayman at 3.50pm.
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