NASSAU, Bahamas — Hundreds of Bahamians and tourists yesterday had their travel plans thrown into chaos when Bahamasair was forced to cancel all afternoon flights due to an “unwarranted sickout” by 80 percent of rostered flight attendants, The Tribune reported on Monday, October 3, in an article written by Business Editor Neil Hartnell.
The “unforeseen” industrial action sparked long lines of frustrated passengers at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) after the national flag carrier confirmed it was forced to cancel outbound flights from Nassau to key Florida destinations including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Tracy Cooper, Bahamasair’s managing director, confirmed to Tribune Business it was “reaching out” to other airlines to see if they could take its passengers although he acknowledged that not all those affected would find seats. Aviation industry sources said this move showed that the industrial action by cabin crew had “crippled” Bahamasair.
Airlines cannot fly without the necessary flight attendants on board. Mr Cooper said the carrier was trying to discover why the flight attendants, numbering 17-18 persons in total, had not reported for work as scheduled although it was likely connected to negotiations for an industrial agreement with the union representing them, the Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAWU).
“You’re spot on,” Mr Cooper replied, when contacted by this newspaper about the flight cancellations and their cause. “We’ve had industrial action today by the flight attendants.” Asked what sparked the sick-out, he replied: “We’re trying to find out ourselves……
“They’ve pretty much called in sick. We are in negotiations with the AAAWU, and we believe some of this has to do with those elements. It’s for some past years and a year or two in the future, so it’s a present [industrial] agreement” that is being discussed.
Gladstone Adderley, the AAAWU’s president, did not return Tribune Business messages and calls seeking comment before press deadline last night, so it could not be determined if this was a so-called ‘wildcat strike’ that did not have the permission and/or backing of union leadership.
However, Mr Cooper affirmed that the sickout had brought Bahamasair’s operations to a virtual standstill. “It’s been five to six flights that have been impacted this afternoon; pretty much all the flights have been impacted,” he told Tribune Business. “This was simply because we didn’t have the flight attendants to service the planes. Almost all the flights.
“We’re in communication with the union as well as trying to put in place a contingency plan for tomorrow [today] and the day after.” This leaves open the possibility of continued disruption for Bahamasair and its passengers, and the continuation of industrial action by the flight attendants, which is not what is desired a tourism industry and wider economy still rebounding from COVID-19.
Airports, and the departing flight, are the final impressions of a destination for stopover visitors and this will not have been a particularly good one for those caught in the turmoil. The action is also ill-timed given that Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, and his team were last week in New York on a major tourism promotional push following a previous one earlier last month on Florida.
Asked whether Bahamasair had contacted other Bahamian and international carriers to take its passengers, Mr Cooper said: “Normally we’ll reach out to industry partners and see how they can help us out. Obviously we’ll have some elements where they cannot carry all our passengers, but as many as can make it with other carriers to help us out.
“Our customer service is talking to them [affected passengers], and we’re trying to see how we can accommodate them over the next several days to get them to their destination.” He did not say how many passengers were affected, or provide any details on the likely financial loss to Bahamasair which is due to receive some $32m in taxpayer subsidies this fiscal year in addition to the $108m-plus handed out over the previous two for $140m in three years. See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/03/bahamasair-crippled-cabin-crew-action-hits-passeng/
