Plane chartered, ready to fly from B’dos, but stranded Trinis need Minister’s OK

Trinidad and Tobago nationals stranded in Barbados have chartered a private aircraft at a cost of US$25,000 to fly them home on Sunday.

This cannot happen, however, until there is written permission from National Security Minister Stuart Young, which they are awaiting.

The group has chartered the plane after receiving no response from State-owned Caribbean Airlines and then from LIAT with respect to providing some information to Young after the airline (LIAT) had initially indicated it could transport the passengers.

Attorneys for the group of 33 nationals, Prakash Ramadhar and Larry Lalla, issued a news release yesterday providing an update on the nationals.

They noted that Young had indicated on Sunday that the citizens would be allowed by the Government to return to Trinidad.

They stated that after no response from CAL was received, contact was made with LIAT and the airline expressed its willingness and availability to supply a charter flight on condition that they be supplied with the Ministry of National Security’s approval for them to fly to Trinidad.

The attorneys stated that they wrote to Young and he responded that before he could give his written confirmation, he needed the flight information regarding the airline, flight time and crew for the flight.

“We then attempted to contact LIAT in an attempt to get this information from LIAT, for some reason that is not apparent, we then did not hear back from LIAT,” they stated.

“Our clients were caught in a situation where the minister was requesting flight information from LIAT before he could provide his written approval and LIAT was requesting the written approval before it could provide its flight information,” they stated.

The attorneys said after waiting for two days and not hearing from LIAT, the group was able to arrange another charter with One Caribbean Ltd, an airline out of St Vincent.

They stated that One Caribbean Ltd proposes to operate two flights to return nationals on Sunday, April 19.

“This information as well as the flight and crew details have been supplied to the minister as per his request and we await the written confirmation of the approval for this Sunday’s flight that he announced to the nation at last Sunday’s press conference,” stated the attorneys.

The Express messaged questions yesterday to Young on whether he will give permission now that he has the required information but there was no response.

Yearning to return home

In a telephone interview with the Express yesterday, Philip Ramdial, the group’s spokesman, said nationals are at risk because their medication and money are near exhausted.

He said every day that goes by they pay US$120 (reduced rate) for the hotel room at Sugar Cane Club and they buy foodstuff to cook because they cannot afford to eat at the hotel restaurant.

He said there are nationals whose health conditions are at risk given the extended period of being away from home.

“I have three clients who had open-heart surgery, two others with other heart-related illness, 24 with hypertension and 24 diabetics and one with an asthmatic conditions.

“The race with life and death was started by Minister Young on March 22 (the day the T&T borders were closed)….we served 17 days quarantine on the ship, 14 days mandatory quarantine in Barbados and another 14 days self- quarantine… I am afraid some may not finish alive and I am appealing to the powers that be to consider these people 70 years and over whose medications are running low and funds are almost exhausted. In order to survive they need to be in their home environment,” he said.

Ramdial implored Young to respond as early as possible so they can finally return to their homeland.

The group left Trinidad in March for Dubai where they had a cruise on the Indian Ocean. After the COVID-19 outbreak, they tried to make their way back to Trinidad but were unable to do so as this country’s borders closed at midnight on March 22 and they arrived in Barbados on March 23.

The Barbados government decided to keep them in that country on humanitarian grounds.

PM: Borders to stay closed

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said on Thursday that T&T’s borders will remain closed.

“If the door is not closed, the scientific information that we have available to us, is that the best laid plans could become unlaid,” Rowley said at the post-Cabinet media conference as he justified his government’s position.

Responding to a question about the number of T&T nationals who remain overseas who wish to return home, the Prime Minister said he knew the pain of not being home and shared his painful experiences of his first year on campus in Jamaica and knowing his daughter is in New York now amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Trinidad Express)