Airport shuttered due to staffing issues
Information reaching BVI News is that the Terrance B Lettsome Airport on Beef Island has been closed until further notice.
The latest development comes just one day after the government announced a successful staging of the American Airlines carrier which is due to begin direct flights between Miami and Tortola, less than one week from today.
According to a highly credible source, there have been consistent staffing issues with the airport’s control tower in recent times, and the entity has now been left short-staffed as a result.
The airport was rendered closed just some time around 1 pm today after an Air Traffic Controller called in sick and did not show up to relieve the staff on duty for the next shift.
Airport regulations stipulate that Air Traffic Controllers should not work beyond certain hours in a single shift given the highly sensitive nature of the job.
It remains unclear whether the airport will resume operations later today and how this may have affected the entity. It is understood that at least one airline has cancelled its flights.
BVI News will bring more information as this situation develops.
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Fix this now, we bout fresh start
What in the world! AA is no going to put their reputation on the line. Better get this issue fixed pronto. Why do this now if we can’t support it?
We are not talking about bag handlers we are talking about the most important people at the airport. Come on mannnn.
Couldn’t organize a piss up in a brewery. Someone call in the UK now!
like really. and yet they saying no jobs available for locals and that expats taking their jobs.
Get up stand up, fight for your rights.
It’s good that flights are coming, but when monies were being paid for votes increments should have been considered. Everybody ignore the most important resources “Human Resources”. They listened well yesterday morning and planned well in the afternoon. Others need to do the same thing.
… it’s not a Holiday Weekend anywhere … Oh!
ONE person calls off sick and it closes the “International Airport “. So turd world. Unbelievable
One employee calls in sick and the BVI’s major international airport is closed for the day. Wow!! Maybe American Airlines should bring in their experienced ground personnel and take over the airport forever.
Nature’s little secret is now exposed to the world: Can’t fix stupid.
Only. In the BVI
American called me to say my June flight was canceled. They put us 6 on a flight to St. Thomas instead.
BVI IS NOT A REAL PLACE.
Let’s all remember that this was Natalio’s first achievement with his new government.
Let’s take some gambles on what’s next? Incinerator not working? No fire truck on VG? Anegada without power? Carrot bay without water?
BVI IS NOT A REAL PLACE.
one man makes a difference.
AYO GO PAY THE PEOPLE THEM THEM MONEY
I heard that those at the top with no qualification and material experience appear to be breaking the bank and those with the relevant skills and experience in their field getting peanuts. While others climbing the corporate ladder using their skirts.??
That man at the top appears to be a BIG l**r. It is not an operational issue, it is an HR issue where they do not want to properly compensate the poor workers.
Time to employ workers from outside. Resolved pay issues with present employees. It’s rather unfortunate that this employee got sick at this historic time. What an embarrasment!
Someone said call in the UK…I’m not sure that’s necessarily a great idea they’re not much better at the moment.
The DG is the Problem Send his A on Retirement for Good. Why they bringing him back on Contract that’s wrong The systems in Government will get Worst.The people need to be paid their money ? he got his 200000$ lump sum plus ➕️ a Contract and the Hard Working Civil Servants Suffering He is the Damn Slave Master for the UK People get Rid of D A.He continues to make people suffer people dead and gone and not getting their Increments and he getting or hot all his benefits He is Worst than what happening with the Greedy Bill..
What a joke.
The nasty attitude of some of the. Indigenous BVI will create havoc in the industries
1. The Trini man who came to work at the Airport spent 3.days and left – says some management officers attitude stinks
2. The bad minded Head lies and tell people they getting invrement but do nothing about it
3. They complained about lack of workers but failed to hire expatiates and there are no locals to filled the position .
We cannot be like dod in the manger syndrome. This is ridiculous.
Either retain locals to do the job or hire experts. The mentality synergies of us against them will soon cripple the ecomony if something does not give way
See the nurses
See the trachers
See the bank tellers
The resturuant workers
The construction workers
Treat people with justice we will nring on problems on ourselves .
The country is outnumbered the horse is out of tge barn
There is no pulling back now it is now coexistence side by side ..
THE OVER 50 BVI STUDENT THAT ARE STRANDED AT SAN JUAN AIRPORT -THEIR PARENTS SHOULD COME TOGETHER AND SUE THE AIRPORT AUTHERITY AND THE GOVERNMENT . THIS IS NOT AN ACT OF GOD. ITS SIMPLY THOSE KIDS ARE HELD HOSTAGE AT SAN JUAN AIRPORT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF INCOMPETENCE
This place really a joke… Independence how when we cant run anything properly it seems.
Them should have bring in the staff working at VG and Anegada airport to continue the work until the staff at EIS decided to feel better and stop striking. If the government bringing in a skeleton staff from St. Thomas to continue the flight you would hear another story.
I am trying to follow your logic. A worker is a worker no matter where they are from, and should be treated with dignity and respect in the work environment. Additionally, what is historic about this time.
Hope it is not an issue with Aviation and Regul atory compliance, We are comfortable with mediocrity soso and halfway unlike AA.
American has rebooked passengers so that may be an indication that things won’t be happening as planned.
Not a good look for BVI. Shot confidence!
The government did not have to bring in AA. That was AA’s decision, yet government took credit for that. All government had to do was ensure an operational airport. THAT IS ALL…THEY DIDNT HAVE TO FIND MONEY TO CREATE A AIRLINE, THEY JUST HAD TO MAKE SURE THE AIRPORT WAS OPERATIONAL…NOT EVEN THAT THEY COULD DO. I hope they take all the credit for this latest display of complete buffoonery.
Along with Pilots and Flight attendants, Air Traffic Controller is a skilled profession and their schedule must be within International guidelines
You need extras ,for the “just in case” and on call
Wouldn’t be surprised if BVi airport operates with no regards for Regulations. American Airlines dont play that game. Too much to lose.
Not saying that this is the issue affecting the current situation at the Airport.
This is not uncommon. One worker retired from the hospital and now they have very limited ultrasound services. For months now nothing is done to restore this very important service.
See statements like that is why we don’t get anywhere. Talking foolishness
Check. This must be resolved asap. People with flights today cancelled. People stuck in PR and here. Doors just closed. no explanation to guests coming for flights. No help with finding a solution. Helping with arranging accommodating. No Fed X, DHL etc. Such an inconvenience and bad experience for the BVI.
This soon happened in the health sector at BVIHSA look out cause this 1% is not what there are Worth take note Mr Health Minister
I 100% agree with you. Better get this issue under wraps. Hire adequate staff, pay the staff what they deserve, and stop overworking the lil bit of staff you have so they wont stage a sick out. That’ll be a suprise if customs and immigration, as well as the security staff followed suite.
And while we fixing problems, we gotta fix the extreme heat condition at the airport. We wouldn’t want to embarass ourselves even more by allowing American Airlines and its passengers to be the first to post how hot it does be on CNN and FOX.
After all, we need their business. Also,them coming here is great for our reputaion and the economy. I’d hate for them to pull out because of a simple issue like that.
They authority should ask for a sick leave paper. And look at the doctors signing them.
“@smh” I belive I am correct in saying that unfortunately the labour code only requires a doctor’s note if you are off work for more than three days.
That is not the answer to this crisis
Because the demographics of the BVI have changed . Being indigenous would soon be ating of the past line Caribs and Arawaks
Fighting to “ support your own” is crippling the work place .
We have to be realistic . We are a mixed population of Belongers from different nationalities and BVIslanders that is my point .
Hearing Senior members in the civil service talk you wonder if they have learn anything about anthropology.
See how many famailie are pure bred BVIslanders ?
See which nationality is growing in terms of children ?
See which family is having / producing less children in their household?
See whose families are migrating and who staying ?
Tell me ten years from now see where the bigger families growth is ? Will it be indigenous or belongers or expatriate ?
Too late to control ….
Maybe the government should have spent more money on paying out our increments instead of sending out money via Ath movil as bribes for people to vote for them.
So you sign up for a job I’m sure before you accepted you know what your salary is going to be. So why now you saying it’s not enough. Leave and go get more somewhere. I see someone wrote “pay the staff what they deserve” the staff accept that payment in the beginning. I don’t understand now. If they cannot give an adequate sick leave documents and the government takes action you will hear all bad things about the government. It have charter companies bring in their own people and paying them more than the local staff but what can they do they sign up for certain amount of pay without a yearly increase so they have to accept what they sign up for or go elsewhere.
Independence?? The BVI blames the UK for the failings of their government, and then wants money, defense and security provided by the UK at every turn! The BVI will be a bankrupt and failed bunch of rocks in the Atlantic within months of Independence! If you want it, the UK will probably jump at the chance of getting rid of a useless weight around it’s neck, but don’t expect any more $ when you start to starve and everything turns to ash!
We are the laughing stock we deserve. We create our own problems here that the rest of the world stands back and just shakes their heads in disbelief
An institution as critical and vital to the development, growth and well being of this country should not be allowed to reach to this dangerous level in its operations
Shame on
The shareholders
The Board
The Manager of the Airport
The Minister of Communications and Works
This speaks volumes of your commitment, your organization skills , your lack of leadership skills .
This is utter disgrace. So now the government is scrambling to recruit workers . This sounds worse than child play
You do know that isn’t how that works right? You are right that they should of look this over from long ago but we don’t know why they didn’t get another traffic controller and other staffs.
Again we don’t know the reason why another traffic controller wasn’t hired. Maybe because their wasn’t a need at the time or maybe not enough funds or maybe they rather locals and didn’t want to hire from overseas. Don’t go jumping ahead without the full picture.
haul yuh behind the tower staff is expacts they dont give a s**t bout the bvi . u think they could of try this where them from , by the way majority of airport is expats . them just up there creating a havoc . the manager alone need to go start with him all kind of bull crop going on up there the airport staff need cleaning up .
There is sonething called vision and succession planing for institutions like these . Perhaps your level of intelligence cannot comprehend that , hence such a foolish train of thiughts .
Those are factors that should never be in play to run the airport successfully
It’s good to see all those planes back to back started landing from about 11:20 am this Saturday morning.
Planes just keep landing one after the other this morning
More confirmation that the massive import and installation of a ” less than ” demographic,has caused the deterioration of the quality of life in these BVI.
Note the murder committed some hours ago…young Black male with ties to the upper Caribbean…as expected and as usual.
BVI,pre the import of this offensive demographic,was a zero crime rate Island
Paradise.
Unless one is of like cannibalistic majeu,there can be no acceptance and honey boo boo love of such folks. Efforts of tolerating wears on people’s nerves.
These folks sour sweet life bad bad.
This past week in reported news as an example;
45year old ( Vincentian) child rapist,
3 persons ( DR,Trinidad) with illegal guns
I man mudered..identity not yet revealed…but odds are he has updeislun ties.
OK luv list on these inherently demonic individuals.
One week in a place where crime was an unknown
event.
The crux of the issue is that they simply don’t have enough air traffic controllers, so if one calls in sick, they don’t have anyone who can step in. This is a specialized skill that isn’t taught in the BVI and so they have to be recruited from abroad. I don’t know if the Labour Department is to blame or the Airports Authority has fallen off in their recruiting, but it’s an issue that needs to be addressed or this will happen again.
Power is in the hands of the landowners
Being a large invading population
means little if its poor semi literate,high death rate at their own hands and high amounts of imprisonment.
The powers that be can change the immigration laws to import wealthy,skilled and a more acceptable and compatible ethnicity. VIslanders know what it is like to live in their country freely and in harmony
BVI currently is like a mansion infested with cockroaches. When discovered these unwanted guests with their short life span, their end of life as they know it,is hastened by different
and direct methods for the long term and are kept away with repellents..just a matter of time!
exBVI Premier caught trafficking drugs.
Nuff said.
It’s about time the employees start standing up for themselves. They work with failing outdated equipment in a moldy closed up office day and night. Upper management does not care about staff or the harsh environment they work in with no proper equipment to even do the work as some employees have to use their own equipment from home but yet safety is their number priority. Cut the crap. They only care about their salary and that the operations of the airport are conducted. Staff complaints are swept under the table regarding their safety, salary, and having proper equipment. When the employees stand up the table is flipped. No employees equals to no operations to no airport.
BVIslanders migrate and live in harmony where they settle and they contribute positivity. They,as a community are not characteristically violent,orlazy and are trustworthy. They are prideful and proud.
It has been mentioned that the Quakers influence contributed to the character and
Peaceful disposition of BVlslanders…a contrast to those in the other Caribbean that are notably and persistently violent,most especially with each other.
I knew these VI pre “development”and I am saddened.
BVIslanders migrate and live in harmony where they settle and they contribute positivity. They,as a community are not characteristically violent,orlazy and are trustworthy. They are prideful and proud.
It has been mentioned that the Quakers influence contributed to the character and
Peaceful disposition of BVlslanders…a contrast to those in the other Caribbean that are notably and persistently violent,most especially with each other.
I knew these VI pre “development”and I am saddened.
Your comment clearly shows how little knowledge you have of what air traffic controllers do. You’re not alone though….98% of people of the population doesn’t.