BA finds way to get Indian nationals home
(CNS): After long negotiations regarding the personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for flight crews flying into India, the governor’s office has found a solution to get several hundred people stranded in Cayman without work back to their home country. A British Airways evacuation flight in July will take about 300 Indian nationals to London, from where a partner airline will carry them to Chennai, a city in eastern India.
Efforts to repatriate people from India, most of whom were working here in the tourism sector, were hampered by a dispute between British Airways and the Indian government over the level of PPE that flight crews entering the country are required to wear. Indian authorities had mandated full hazmat suits as well as masks and gloves.
But British Airways was not willing to comply, making an evacuation flight from Cayman a challenge. But Governor Martyn Roper revealed that BA was able to organise a partner airline to fly from London to India, and so the flight has now been set for 3 July.
“This has not been an easy flight to arrange with the Indian government because of stringent personal protective equipment requirements on the flight. But we have arranged for British Airways to come here to fly the Indian nationals to London,” he said, explaining that Qatar Airways will then take the Indian nationals on to Chennai.
The governor said this flight was the first of two legs to evacuate Indian nationals only, and details of how people can book seats will be released shortly.
Meanwhile, the governor’s office is still negotiating with other countries to allow flights, such as the Nicaraguan government, which is now beginning to allow some of its people home.
The office also remains responsible for the BA air-bridges and there will be two more to London in August to take students back to school and college in the UK.
Cayman’s borders do not officially open until 1 September. In the meantime, all other evacuation flights to and from the US and other regional destinations are being handled through the premier’s immigration ministry. The flights into Cayman are currently determined by available quarantine space, while and flights out are determined by need.
See the full press briefing on CIGTV below:
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Category: Local News
On entering cayman, its mandatory to be on a 14 day paid quarantine in a govt. Isolation facility. It’s better to do a test Initially and take appropriate action rather than isolation for all
Hi please kindly ask your help for srilanka n to arrange the flight to go home please we are still waiting for to go home thanks
Headline is wrong. Should read BA finds way to get paid for doing half a job and gets someone else to take Indian passengers home. And given they are using a OneWorld alliance partner for the second leg probably bagging some slice of that fee as well.
Does anyone here know about “Ring Theory?”
The study of algebraic structures? How is that relevant?
I think it applies in this case so it is relevant.
Why is the focus only on UK flights? We have people stranded in the USA since this pandemic began and we have seemed just forgotten about them and the UK residents, many of which are wealthy individuals that can afford to come to Cayman where it is safer for them and at Government’s expense.
What about students that have to be in the States for University in early August. Universities in the states calendar runs August through May of each year. There has been nothing said or planned for these students but two flights are already in the works for the rich kids to return to boarding school in England. Forgive me for sounding a bit biased but the Governor and the CIG seem to be only interested in these “airbridge” flights to the UK when the fact of the matter is that we average Caymanians are more likely to be sending our kids to the USA and many of us have families that are in the States. We need to ensure all Caymanians are treated fairly not just those with the close ties to the UK.
Why? Because the Governor wants to emphasize how Mother is looking after us – passing lightly over the fact that BA is a private company and is getting paid for this. He is not paid to bang a drum about how modern Caymans connections to the US are not at stronger than to the UK. Noticed how the Cayman Airways flights take second fiddle to BA in terms of using the available quarantine space. And how there is zero reference to the weekly cargo flights into here from the US?
I don’t understand why we are chartering British Airways rather than seeing if the US could grant these individuals a transit visa and have them connect through many ports in the USA. Our money should be spent utilizing Cayman Airways for flights to somewhere in the States for connections rather than chartering British Airways every time.
Have you read any of the press commentary in the UK about how the UK government is helping BA by commissioning flights? Spending money on a charter with American Airlines or Delta isn’t going to do that. It’s the Governor’s team running the air ridge, and using a foreign flagged carrier is not going to get anyone an award from the Queen.
Yeah can see the US under its current administration waiving their rules on transit visas to bail out foreign nationals stranded on a Caribbean Island.
BA are begging for a handout from the British taxpayer. But will turn down the revenue from 300 passengers at say $1,000 each minimum rather than comply with the Indian government requirements.
Actually quite the opposite.If you look it up BA is currently using the crisis to make up to 30% of their staff redundant and are refusing to accept government help in the form of loans to see them through the tough times(apart from furlough which BA has refuses to extend even though it is on offer post 30th of June).
Re PPE:If I was a member of cabin crew on that flight I would refuse to wear the full protection outfit for 12 hours.It is not necessary.
The service onboard has been reduced to almost no contact.
Would YOU be willing to wear for that length of time?
Thanks for the comment on Waitrose vs Melton Mowbray pies, makes sense but getting quality Brit-foods here is remote at best so I satisfy with what I can get – when I can get! My best memories of those types of product are those bought fresh from the neighbourhood pastry shop down the street.
Neighborhood pastry shop? When did you Britain – 1970?
I only hope that Fosters and Kirks can get a shipment of Waitrose and other English products in on that flight. I’d sell my blood for a pork pie or a good savory mince pie right about now!!
Waitrose, like many other mass market pies are substandard and do not resemble the real one made in Melton Mowbray. I make my own, it’s not that difficult and results, well people are begging me to make more.
Hope UK will exempt arrivals from Cayman from
UK quarantine.
Absolutely not.
Many airlines operate flights to India with these protocols in place. There are even non stop flights from the US to India. So must be a BA staffing issue.
I hope ER staff would be on board to resuscitate passengers and pilots who would faint from being enclosed in such attire. Did any doctor approve it?
Covid 19 has taught the CI Government hopefully some lessions. Such as which countries will refuse to allow their own nationals to return in a crisis and burden the Cayman Islands with their nationals and not take responsibility.
CI Government need to change their immigration policy and look at which countries are friendly and co-operative and only grant work permits from thoses countries.
You’re right. Canada has been trying to deport or repatriate a number of Caymanians. They should make the visa restrictions more stringent like the do for the rest of the Caribbean.
Rubbish. Caymanians have been stranded in many other countries and CIG has only been fervently working on bringing back those stranded in the UK and US to a lesser extent.
Flight to India is very long. Airline would assume liability for passenger’s and pilots health.
While PPE is extremely useful, some people may experience an unwanted side effect from PPE use, such as :
Overheating
Contact irritant dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis
Mechanical skin damage.
***Overheating
Overheating due to PPE is very common. PPE may cause an increase in body temperature by preventing heat from being lost via sweat evaporation. Heavier forms of PPE may also increase body heat production due to the increased work of carrying the PPE.
Sweat loss and dehydration from overheating can cause heat illness, ranging from a mild heat rash (miliaria) to a life-threatening heat stroke. Cooling measures should be undertaken immediately if there are any signs of heat illness.
***Contact irritant dermatitis
Most contact dermatitis due to PPE is classified as irritant contact dermatitis, where dermatitis is not due to the development of a hypersensitivity type of immune reaction. Examples of irritant reactions associated with PPE include:
Hand dermatitis due to sweating inside a glove
Gloves and other forms of PPE may directly cause irritant contact dermatitis when they rub on the skin
Rough clothing such as seams or woollen fibres rubbing on sensitive skin
Chemicals penetrating through leaks in coveralls
***Skin hypersensitivity reactions
Some people may develop type I and type IV hypersensitivity reactions to specific materials or chemicals used to make PPE.
Type I hypersensitivity typically presents immediately after exposure with acute urticaria or anaphylaxis. Type 1 allergens are identified with a skin prick test and may include latex protein in rubber gloves.
Type IV hypersensitivity usually presents a few days after exposure as allergic contact dermatitis. Possible allergens are identified with a patch test.
Allergens causing allergic contact dermatitis due to PPE include:
Rubber accelerators used in latex and non-latex gloves
Textile dyes in clothing
Metals in masks and boots
Formaldehyde and other preservatives found in N95 respirators and other surgical masks.
Once an allergen is identified, contact with it should be avoided as much as possible.
***Mechanical skin damage
Facial ulcers and acne have been reported in those who wear goggles or a mask for a long period of time due to pressure effects.
An ulcer is an open defect in the skin barrier. Prolonged pressure on the skin from a mask or a pair of goggles can cause a disruption in blood supply and subsequently, the death of overlying skin. This results in the formation of a pressure ulcer.
Acne mechanica is a complication of acne vulgaris. Pressure and friction on existing acne vulgaris can cause micro-abrasions that exacerbate inflammation. The pustules may become deeper and more enlarged with continued pressure.
Irritant contact dermatitis occurs when the skin is directly exposed to soap and water, alcohol (in a sanitiser), or a harsh physical or chemical irritant. The irritant damages the skin barrier, enabling other irritants to enter the skin. This leads to local inflammation, pain, and itching.
Damaged skin is also more likely to develop a secondary bacterial infection. Hence, measures should be taken to prevent skin damage such as removing the source of irritation and limiting the number of hours spent in PPE.
There are daily non stop flights from US to India in compliance with these new rules. So not an excuse.
So if there are daily flights from the USA to India how come Cayman Government is waiting until JULY 3 to have these unemployed people leave Cayman? Guess Cayman wants them to spend more time in Cayman spending some money.
The Cayman Islands will get a reputation for how they have treated other foreigners!!! Terrible.
You really don’t even deserve an answer but what the hell. The Cayman Islands Government has bent over backwards to help all foreign nationals during this pandemic.
I doubt many other countries if any at all would have done the same for us or you for that matter.
They would have to have a US visa to go through that country. Cayman can’t just put them in a Miami flight. I hope all the Indian Jewellery store workers are booked to go home. Can you imagine those on Goring Ave try to disrupt CI Museum functions by parking their cars in the way as if they own the place.
And with the economy other tan tourism reopening on Sunday, I wonder how many will now want to go?
I am out. Cayman holds nothing for me.
Are Cayman borders definitely opening up September 1 & is that for tourists!
Do not open up to Florida and Texas. The 2 biggest problem states right now in America. New cases there going through the roof.
11 26….your statement is crazy because Cayman has the virus also. There are more reported cases because they are continuing to test. Those are the statistics. It is out there. So you can get the virus in Cayman as well as in Florida. Why are you being so prejudiced?
The sky is falling. OMG. Let’s all panic.
I’ve thought the shutdown measures on Cayman were ridiculous for some time. It has become increasingly obvious that the Chinavirus already in Cayman does not pose a serious threat. However, taking in travelers is another story. The numbers in the USA are a cause for concern.
I will say this. A close friend of ours recently died after being diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. He had symptoms typical of that disease but no symptoms of an infection. His widow told us that the Doctor wanted to put Covid 19 as the cause of death on the death certificate. I have heard that the medical establishment receives funding for each patient who dies of Covid 19. I would therefore not rely on those USA death numbers. They are probably inflated.
…and Postmaster still can’t coordinate intl mail delivery from EU or North America, even knowing the inbound repatriation flight schedules.
This is one part of their get out of Cayman initiative. When all expats leave it will start up again.
And they don’t even have real world house mail delivery. Bermuda does.
House mail delivery has gone the way of the dodo bird.
Which is actually surprising considering how the Cayman Islands government likes to employ people that arent needed.
Oh they still employ them. No one is laying off post office workers. Just not expecting them to do very much. And now even less.
Someone should probably let the Guv know that English Universities start in October.
And even then students need to check as some UK university courses are on line even in October
Errr mid to late September actually.
Better get your curry now while you still can!
Errr… those chefs are obviously still working, so won’t be on this flight…..given this is a flight for people without work.
Patience ignorant one. Your time to shine is coming.
Racial stereotypes anyone? Those cardio vascular surgeons down at Health City moonlight at Southern Spice all the time.