The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
FRIDAY,
JULY 28, 2017
VOLUME 111, No.30
www.thevincentian.com
EC$1.50
AIA COMPLETES 22 INVESTIGATIONS
The Argyle International Airport has had its fair share of challenges since its opening on February 14, 2017. Service and Marketing/PR Manager, of those 52 complaints received between May 15 and July 2, only 29 of the complainants had completed the process, e.g. providing detailed flight information, so as to allow for thorough investigation by AIA authorities. Other setbacks have been occasioned when the authorities have been unable to make contact with complainants, because contact numbers proved inaccessible and email remain unanswered.
Glender Francois, Customer Service and Marketing/PR Manager at the AIA, gave a comprehensive overview of the situation, to date, with respect to the complaints of ‘theft’ at the newly commissioned AIA. by DAYLE DASILVA AS OF MONDAY this week, investigations into 22 of the 52 complaints of theft made by passengers using the Argyle International Airport (AIA) have been completed. And, according to Glender Francois, Customer
Breakdown of complaints
It was clear, according to AIA personnel, that the majority of the complaints/queries submitted were made after it was discovered that bottles of ‘Sunset’ Strong Rum were removed from checked-in luggage. In keeping with international flight rules and regulations, alcoholic beverages over 70 percent alcohol content or 140 proof are prohibited on all flights.
The confiscation of Strong Rum at the AIA accounted for 24 percent of the number of complaints made, Francois said, and a combination o Strong Rum and other items amounted to 44.8 percent. Other complaints made by individuals included damaged bags, ransacked luggage, bottles of items unsealed or not sealed securely and resulting in damage to clothing — this category accounting for the remaining 31.2 percent of the complaints filed. Information provided showed that 93.2 percent of the complaints made were done so by passengers travelling on LIAT. One was submitted by a passenger using Sun Country, and one from a passenger who travelled on Caribbean Airlines (CAL). Regarding the routes, the data indicated that the majority (close to 60%) of complaints were made by passengers flying from AIA to Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados; 29.6 percent were made by passengers travelling to Piarco in Trinidad, 3.7 percent by passengers travelling from AIA to St Lucia then on to Barbados, and 7.4 percent leaving from the AIA to Antigua via St Lucia. Vincentian nationals accounted for all the complaints made.
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