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Trinidad and Tobago students at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Mona Campus in Jamaica insisted yesterday they were not notified about additional Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flights made available for their return home ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s landfall. Student Iyanu Small told the Express that no official communication was sent to students regarding the extra flights from Jamaica to T&T. In a WhatsApp exchange yesterday, she said, “The reality of the situation is there has been no notification from Caribbean Airlines informing the students that an extra flight has been added for us to purchase the tickets and come home.” Small noted that the airline and authorities could have issued information earlier in the week. “This storm was supposed to come since last week Tuesday, so the Government, if they cared, should have been aware and informed us prior to the day of the flight. However, that was not the case, students received e-mails on October 24 and the flights leaving Jamaica was on October 24,” she said. She added that only medical students initially received notice from the authorities. “The e-mail stated, ‘If you would like to come home, please say so.’ And the students who did respond said, ‘I would like to come home, however, I do not have the funds right now to purchase a ticket to come home. Will there be anything put in place for that?’ They sent us e-mail saying, ‘No, nothing is being put in place.’” Small said students were further advised that no special arrangements or shelters had been prepared, and they were told simply to “stay safe and monitor the weather”. “I received my e-mail at 6.24 p.m. and the last flight was leaving on Friday at 12.25 p.m. (T&T time)—of course the plane came back empty. When I checked the ticket price, it was US$900-plus. So, of course, students were unable to make the necessary arrangements to leave Jamaica. Even to get to the airport—Jamaica is extremely large in comparison to Trinidad—to get to an airport right now would have been hard,” she said. Addressing a viral video showing students joking about the limited food supplies they received, Small—speaking on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago Students’ Association (TTSA) and other students—expressed appreciation for the assistance provided. “We are extremely grateful to the High Commission who took their own money and the Trinidad nationals living in Jamaica who took their own money and went out of their way to finance and supply us with food items that was requested by us. I don’t eat meat, I requested tuna, crackers or bread, and that is what I got. I got four tins of tuna for myself and two packs of crackers.” She added that the video does not reflect the overall sentiment of the TTSA or other students. “Thank you to the persons who are continuously reaching out and want to provide even more assistance which we are grateful for because at the end of the day, we do not know what will happen, so for on campus, we have not seen any extreme winds or rains so we are still able to go out and get supplies,” she said. Former prime minister Stuart Young issued a statement expressing concern for students and citizens in Jamaica on Facebook yesterday. “I am praying for our Jamaican brothers and sisters as they brace for the effects of Hurricane Melissa. I am also praying in particular for the safety and well-being of all our Trinidad and Tobago citizens who are in Jamaica at this time. A number of our students and parents who have children in Jamaica have been in touch with me and provided me with the evidence of the lack of concern and assistance from our government which was disturbing to say the least. Unfortunately, they are now stuck in Jamaica and sheltering in place. May God bless and keep you all safe as we pray for you.” CAL responds Caribbean Airlines, meanwhile, stated in a release early yesterday morning that it had been in communication with both the T&T High Commission in Jamaica and the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training since October 23 regarding possible evacuation flights. The release stated, “Caribbean Airlines confirms that it was contacted on October 23, by the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Jamaica (High Commission) and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (Ministry), regarding a possible flight plan to transport Trinidad and Tobago nationals studying at The University of the West Indies (UWI) campuses in Jamaica due to the impending passage of Hurricane Melissa.” The airline said it provided its scheduled operations for October 23 and 24, which included regular services and two additional non-stop flights to Trinidad. On October 23, flight BW 419 (Kingston–Trinidad, via Antigua and Barbados) departed at 2.55 p.m. with 22 available seats. On October 24, two additional flights—BW 415 at 11.25 a.m. (KIN time) and BW 405 at 10.30 a.m.—offered 38 and 121 available seats respectively. CAL noted that the Norman Manley International Airport was closed on October 25 at 9 p.m. local time and is expected to reopen on October 29 at noon. The airline added that passenger safety remains its top priority and that it continues to monitor the situation and assist affected travellers.
