Above: a Caribbean Airlines plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines grounded all of its international and domestic flights on Tuesday after a number of its pilots called in sick in what appears to be an industrial action.

In a release, the company said that, while management and the pilots’ Trinidad and Tobago Pilot’s Association had been in communication, it was “disappointed with the action of the pilots.”

“We are naturally concerned firstly for the health and welfare of our pilot body since this is an unprecedented occurrence,” Caribbean Airlines CEO Michael DiLollo said. “This unfortunate situation has disrupted our scheduled services at the beginning of our critical summer season, during which we count most on our operational crews to demonstrate reliability and service for our loyal customers.”

DiLollo said he was also concerned about the “potential negative impact of the disruptions to its passengers.”

“Many families choose this time to travel and have committed hard-earned savings to enjoying this time together,” he said. “To disappoint them will surely be a serious breach of our unspoken contract with them, a betrayal far deeper than even our legal commitment to provide the promised service.”

Three of four flights on Wednesday were also cancelled, with a fourth, a Port-of-Spain-JFK-Port of Spain circuit, delayed.