Stranded Passengers return to Guyana after 3-day delay by British Airways

The passengers that were stranded in Saint Lucia since Monday, 30th December, 2024 have safely returned to Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday. These passengers were transported by an alternative aircraft, facilitated by British Airways. 

As per the details, 7 passengers were still unable to travel on the departed British Airways flight due to the unavailability of seats. The authorities have ensured to accommodate the left-behind passengers on other commercial flight, aiming to transport them safely to their destination. 

British Airways to compensate 

The representatives from British Airways have ensured to compensate the stranded passengers. He said that they are committed to covering reasonable costs for hotel accommodations, local transportation, and meal, aiming to compensate the passengers who were waiting at the airport. According to the details, the adults will get meal reimbursements of up to £20 per meal, and children under 12 can claim up to £10.

The authorities of the airline have also ensured to offer additional reimbursements for telephone or internet access. For the same, the airline representatives have urged the passengers to retain their receipts and submit claims through the designated portal of the airline. The airline has also apologized for the inconvenience caused due to the continuous delays. 

What actually happened?

The British Airways flight, which was initially scheduled to depart on Monday was later postponed to Tuesday. The airline failed to operate the flight on that day as well, delayed the flight for continuous three days, with uncertain reasons.  After cancelling the operations multiple times, the flight BA 2159 was departed from Saint Lucia at 4:10 PM local time, finally arriving in Georgetown at 5:50 PM. 

The passengers stranded at the airport have arrived safely to their respective destination. However, they have expressed concerns about the lack of support from the airline. Therefore, they urged the authorities of the airline to improve their communication and coordination in order to avoid such problems in future.  

After the safe arrival, the passengers took to their social media accounts to share their experience. An individual said, “Really happy to be back to my back, but I was really frustrated due to continuous delays.” Another person said, “O thank god, I have reached my destination. Authorities of the airline need to take serious action to avoid this in future.”

Minister Bishop Juan Edghill reaction on the situation 

Shedding light on the situation, the Minister of Public Works of Guyana, Bishop Juan Edghill praised the passengers for dealing the situation patiently. He also thanked the team members of the airline for their cooperation and ensuring the safe return of all passengers to their destinations.