ORIA reopened despite runway damage
(CNS) UPDATED 7:56pm: The runway at Owen Roberts International Airport reopened Monday evening, 10 February, “with a redeclared distance, which allows for limited flight operations”, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority has said. ORIA was temporarily closed Monday afternoon as a result of damage to new pavement that was placed Sunday night as part of the runway rehabilitation project. Full flight operations are expected to resume tomorrow, Tuesday 11 February. Because of the runway closure Cayman Airways (CAL) diverted some flights and delayed others.
The CIAA has still not revealed the cause of the damage or exactly when ORIA was closed. The authority said earlier Monday that it was “working to rectify the situation to resume limited flight operations as soon as possible”.
The CIAA has advised passengers to direct all flight queries to their airline.
A CAL spokesperson said, “Cayman Airways understands that the runway closure is expected to be until at least 6:45pm this evening, while the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) conducts inspections and makes the necessary arrangements to reopen.”
The airline spokesperson said that as a result of the ORIA runway closure on Grand Cayman, Cayman Airways flight KX883 from La Ceiba was diverted to Cayman Brac, and flight KX203 from Tampa was diverted to Miami.
Miami flights KX106 and KX107 this evening are currently delayed until further notice.
Cayman Airways Express flight KX424 from Little Cayman was diverted to Cayman Brac, and KX4725 from Grand Cayman to Little Cayman will be cancelled due to daylight restrictions at Little Cayman’s Edward Bodden Airfield. “Cayman Airways will continue to provide operational updates as soon as they are available.”
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Price Rupert BC’s “IDL” was once temporarily awarded a contract to refurbish Montego Bay’s Sangster Int’l Airport’s problem-plagued overlay project. They were on site for just a few months from Feb-Oct 2013. S&G Road surfacing took over in 2017. It just kicked off again in late 2019 where the original $12mln project is already over $60mln and not expected to be completed until 2021. The only other tropical construction experience was a concrete pour in Tortola. These Canadians are not foreign experts.
Neither would it appear are Island Paving, who put down an asphalt ramp that wouldn’t withstand jet blast.
Yeah those damn Canadian airport builders. They can build state of the art civilian airports in Bermuda, Montego Bay, Kingston, Nassau, Bridgetown, Quito, Ecuador but not on Grand Cayman. When I lived in Jamaica in 2013 and 2014 IDL apparently did an excellent job but not here.
So easy to blame the foreigners than ourselves. It’s the Cayman way. Always blame others.
Sandra Catron’s video alleges that crews had stripped the old surface down too far, making the touchdown area too flexible, so that when planes landed, they were creating indentation ruts. Doesn’t sound very competent or safe if that’s what transpired. It’s also disturbing that uniformed CIAA officials continued to let travelers check in for flights without offering any insight as to the runway closure – they put that all on the various airlines to figure out!
False information from Marl Road as anyone can expect. I wonder what her new stats are on delivering accurate news?
Based on the declared distances published by a CNS poster, assuming they are correct, I would not be surprised if some operators of short-haul flights choose not to operate. A TORA of just over 5000′ is not a comfortable take-off distance for loaded mid-sized jets going to JFK or ORD. Can’t see some US carriers being happy to operate.
The MAIN problem that happens when a government entity screws up or has an ‘accident’, they never tell the full story. Usually because the issue is idiotic and could have been prevented except for an imbecile somewhere that wasn’t paying attention..
Then the marl road telegraph (Not CMR) kicks into full gear and the gossip spreads like wildfire.
If the government would fess up to whatever the issue is, they would be more respected. At least when I admit to a mistake, I am treated better than if I had lied or tried to cover it up… “Things You Learn in Kindergarten”
Lots of experts here on construction, contract law and geology. So many of you are well versed in assigning blame for problems you know nothing about. It could be any number of things. Maybe it’s a construction error or maybe it’s a sinkhole from the earthquake. Until we know maybe y’all should shut up and wait for some facts. Be thankful somebody had the wherewithal to recognize the problem and shut down the runway before a disaster occurred.
So, was the runway checked after the earthquake, before flights were allowed to land? Should be an easy question to answer.
You are missing the point. There is no need for this to be a secret. Just tell everyone what the problem is.
so is it a sinkhole?
Sinkholes are something Cayman should get used to after clearing mangroves and “reclaiming” land….mangroves were there for a reason. It’s about time people started respecting nature.
so you live in a tree?
What have sinkholes to do with mangroves? Sinkhole – an underground void which is exposed when there is a shake, heavy rains or anything that disturbs the soil and mark compacted on top of it and concealing it. The void itself is because we live on a rock made of limestone, which dissolves in water, so rain erodes it. The sinkholes have been there a long time – removing the mangroves, as appalling though that is, is a recent development that has nothing to do with it.
What about newly exposed fault lines from the recent earthquake? Anyone not the least bit worried or are we going to keep our heads stuck in the sand?
Media needs to demand from CIAA the cause of the damage! Was it a paving mistake by the contractor, was it a lightning strike, was it earthquake or aftershock damage just discovered o was it none of the above? The public needs to know!!
What the hell is CAA dong as oversight?
They are investigating….come back in 3 yeas.
9.07 May be you should not come back at all
My first thought would be that a plane ran onto uncured concrete, but it could have been another piece of equipment just as well. Will we ever know the whole story?…… Not likely,,,,,,, that isn’t for us to know.
Just wait until they start messing with those ponds without a proper Environmental Impact Assessment or study taking out fish and turtles is one thing and then filling them with Canadian rumble displacing ground water in that water lens. One big old Sinkhole in the Airstrip should put us right out of business and cut down on those Stay over tourist statistics that our dear minister keeps touting. We thought that little shake on 28th of January had woke up these dummies running and governing this little place, But alas we are back to build up Cayman F#@& environment concept of these unscrupulous profiteers from here and overseas. Its really sad what is happening to our little island.
Smack on
You are an uninformed, idiot.
They already took most fish and wildlife out from ponds. I did witness them.
Does anyone truly believe the PPM will get a third term their incompetence is laughable, the airport, the runway, the pier, the dump, the hospital, the traffic, Cayman Airways. Money being wasted on projects and causes that the average person does not want and will serve no benefit to the country only the inflated egos of the MLAs that sit on the government benches.
I say all that to say that this has happened before this time period is reminiscent of the UDP government of 2009-2012 with their incompetence and the PPM government of 2005-2009 with their frivolous spending of the public resources
Cayman can take no more of this they have to be removed from office ASAP, just hoping they won’t send us down the river before the 2021 election.
you are right. but there is only one thing worse than udp/ppm and thats the rag tag bunch of failures known as the opposition.
my solution: direct rule please for a minimum of 4 years.
Agree. There are no other choices at the moment. Your port, if started, would bankrupt the territory, as the cost would spill over 1 bil., would drag for 3 times longer than planned, never get finished, create a nightmare for ALL in the area.
Another example of total lunacy: approving Lacovia renovation in the abcense of regulations and actual physical space for demolition debris.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE, such as roadwork material, excavated material, demolition waste, construction/renovation waste, and site clearance wastes MUST NOT BE MIXED WITH MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE.
The same applies to the port project- it would generate lots of industrial waste.
Direct Rule huh? Well after 4 years we would be a nation that pay taxes on every friggin step you take. I agree the “baton” need to be past to a more younger, forward thinking, technologically savvy, environmental conscious, group of politicians. But it sure of hell don’t need to be past to the UK.
You already pay taxes on every friggin thing on island. Thank CIG not UK. Why do you think Cayman is one of the most expensive places on earth to live? At least under the UK there would be functional law enforcement, schools, planning department and on and on. I do understand that locals would loose their entitlement jobs, welfare, parking,free airlines, cheap turtle meat, and on and on. Ouch! How would you survive without that?
11.15am . I guess you are one of those who wanted the Foreign Affairs Committee to push for voting rights for all Brits in Cayman
and for expats to hold elected office. More likely you hope locals would lose all meaningful jobs. A’in’t happening no matter how you try to use CPR or National Trust. Caymanians are going to wake up and put you in your place.
Yeah. The CPR and National Trust are an expat conspiracy designed to take over the country. Less painful to believe that than accept your politicians are either corrupt or completely incompetent – or both.
@11:15am
Do you need a sponsor to purchase you an airfare (one way) British Airways to the UK?
To 7.12There are two things worse; direct rule or allowing expats to get elected and run things.
To 7.12am You say “my solution : direct rule please for a minimum of 4 yrs” I suspect that is the reason for a lot of the negative comments on this site; complain and exaggerate at the slightest opportunity and try to convince the FCO that Direct rule is the only solution.
Direct rule would be great but with BREXIT London has far bigger issues to grapple with.
Voters have been wailing for two decades, but haven’t done anything to change the rules Ie. standards of qualification/disqualification, and/or open the field to responsible people that actually want to serve the public not themselves and cronies. Until that happens, or UK dissolves LA and takes over, we’ll keep getting reshuffles each time. This is the only kind of reusing and recycling that’s BAD for the environment!
“Does anyone truly believe the PPM will get a third term their incompetence is laughable”
Only ones more incompetent than the politicians are the voters so…
You want f@#ckups? We give you the CIAA!
You want f&%ckups? We give you the CIAA!
Why are people on here blaming the airlines for the delays?..What do you want them to do, fly over the runway that they can’t land on and have you jump out..Shit happens!
Caymankind happens here.
@8.51 and that is a good thing.
At least this mess up is above ground…wait until they get underwater where we can’t see it, we will never know..
Please people VOTE NO!!!
5000 feet instead of 8000
MWCR OWEN ROBERTS INTL [Back to Top]
A0047/20 – PAPI RWY 08 U/S. 11 FEB 02:35 2020 UNTIL 11 FEB 13:00 2020. CREATED: 11 FEB 02:35 2020 A0046/20 – DECLARED DISTANCES CHANGED: RWY08: TORA – 1540M TODA – 1690M ASDA – 1540M LDA – 1540M RWY26: TORA – 1664M TODA – 1814M ASDA – 1664M LDA – 1540M. 11 FEB 01:45 2020 UNTIL 11 FEB 03:00 2020. CREATED: 11 FEB 01:45 2020
Now imagine a project with a $200,000,000 price tag! What could possibly go wrong? Oh wait!!!🤣
We just boarded 6 am AA to Cayman
Happy landing🙉
Hope you can swim.
@10.06 Actually the flight landed safely about 2hrs 30mins before you even posted.
CNS delays posting, nothing posts as soon as we send.
Vote No
Another $hit show brought to you by Minister Moses Kirkconnell and the Ministry of Tourism.
Airport over budget now this. Will the Minister and his CIAA board face the music?
I am not a fan of Moses but please explain and qualify your statement how is he responsible for the damage to the runway?
Some of you come on this forum
And make statements that are baseless… seriously I can’t take the man but how is he responsible for this??
He is Tourism Minister and took great pride in okaying each successive gong show. Content it seems to have rank amateurs shutter our only way in or out. So that.
So as the minister, was he doing the filling/paving/etc.? The CIAA persons are overseeing the work. Just like my/your manager cannot be responsible for everything I do – they give directions and expect me/you to do our utmost to have things done properly.
IDL’s International Project Dossier is pretty short, to say the least! How did these guys win we wonder?!?
http://www.idlprojects.com/international.asp
Banana Republican…judging from your comment, you are aptly named. Now as the music could it be that you would be strumming the guitar and singing:
Give me that fat contract and I won’t complain
I would work on the runway in sunshine or rain
If problems occur it is not my fault
Must be the Canadian rock or the local asphalt
If you give me the contract and we can make amends
And people can’t say you gave it to friend
Come on CIAA I’m the right man
Afterall I am ..Banana Republican.
And don’t forget the 2 CAL lame ducks on the apron.
Quick call JuJu and get her paving equipment on the job!
😂🤣🤗 Hilarious!
I thought you might like that.
The other half of that joke is that it never came back from the Brac.
Was there ever any investigation?
Hahaha god no.
It was determined that an investigation would have put too many local politicians and friends in jail so they stopped it.
To 11.18 Outright lie. But then again a lie suits your agenda .
So what was determined?
Investigation? Nah! Nobody cared!
9:22 Anti-corruption committee, per AG request, investigating it for 5 years already.
Which conveniently left Island Paving with a virtual monopoly here. Which is conveniently owned by – oh what’s the point. SIPL, ACC – it’s all just for show.
Good on CIAA for being proactive about safety!
Yeah, but they f@cked it up…so, slow clap.
Priactibmvevis anticipating problems and avoiding them. Reactive is dealing with them once they occur. Closing the runway once you find out you have a problem is reactive. Employing a contractor that gets it right or not opening the runway if it’s not ready is proactive.
Cayman airways doesn’t have enough rooms for us that were diverted to Miami
You’ll be fine
Just book one and bill them for it
Because it’s the airlines fault, right. Send the bill to the CIAA. They can decide if it’s their fault for letting the runway be used when not ready or the contractors for not doing the job properly, but I doubt it’s Cayman Airways. What did you want them to do – crash land the plane so you didn’t have to get a hotel?
Go book your own room..Cayman Airways didn’t damage or close the airport..SMH
“ah close enough..what’s the worst that can happen”
civil service incompetence is never ending…
Could not organize a pissup at a brewery.
Or in this case a runway at an airport.
Hancock.. with a name like that seems like you would be the obvious choice to organize pissups
6.59pm The problem for you is that IDL Projects Joint Venture has the contract to do this work. IDL Projects is Canadian firm specialising in airport works. They along with DECCO Ltd ( Dart Co) and Island Paving formed a partnership and were awarded the contract. So it looks like even Dart and Canadians can mistakes.
See here for announcement of contract signing.
The key word there is “partnership”. But hey! Blame Dart, He is the one to blame for all stupid things Caymanians do.
He said Dart and the Canadians…these are people you think oh so highly of but are mere mortals all the same prone to this shit.
8.55am In other words Dart does not make mistakes only Caymanians do stupid things eh
Have you read this “robust” dossier? It’s not great! 6mos in MoBay 7 years ago.
http://www.idlprojects.com/international.asp
time to put cal and ciaa fully in private hands….
But 6.58 the runway resurfacing is in private hands
ciaa can’t go 5 minutes with making idiots of themselves…
Re-paved by ‘Bodgit and Scarper’?
To 6.50pm By IDL Projects, A Canadian company specialising in airports and infrastructure.
By Island Paving. A Caymanian company with a great track record in quick turnaround paving projects like the Island Heritage roundabout and the ETH to the Butterfield roundabout. Took weeks to do a small roundabout and had to be redone. What ever made IDL think they could do reliable overnight works on a runway and have it ready for flights the following day if they can’t pave a tiny roundabout in weeks? Oh – I guess I forgot who owns the company, and the fact that with the NRAs paying equipment in the Brac there’s basically no choice.
LMAO!! Dey doin good so far…
Absolutely nothing available about my Southwest flight in the morning. You need to try harder CIAA!
Call Southwest?
Aren’t you the smartest!
But they don’t have flights from Bodden Town or Breakers ( the other airports if you check for flight info on the airport’s website).
Looks like someone unlicked the crazyhouse and let the inmates play government.
But without direct service, you’ll have to book a connecting flight from Savannah to West Bay.
All! CIAA did was shorten the runway – they don’t have a crystal ball on how long it will take the airlines to reconfigure all their flights to allow for a reduced take off and landing distance and deal with all the knock on schedule changes. They may be responsible – doesn’t mean they have to answer on the consequences.
Flights yesterday were delayed over an hour because some rock (imported from Canada) had spilled on to the runway surface. Who is this inept vendor, and do they have any clue? How are they qualified to be in charge of something so mission-critical?
Well, ya see, the contractors from Canada wanted Canadian rocks.
Seriously, is anyone investigating this shit?
Caymanian truck driver with Canadian rock partnerd with Dart. Where could the problem be???
Common! He was definitely Jamaican.
The new pavement wasn’t properly set or cured? Is that the problem? If so, please just say so, instead of making us all guess. You know that our speculation will run the gamut. Things happen. We’re all human. Just tell us what’s going on.
C’mon Beau lets start a list of possible scenarios; black top not cured, ….Fire Service did a test run over newly laid black top whilst near rolling their rig again, post quake sinkholes opened up, IPL simply did a $hit job that didn’t make the grade….
Any more for anymore?
Yes please
Beaumont Easily the most common sense post on this topic
Here come the lies!
And they want us to trust them with 300 million for cruise piers.
They can’t even tarmac a runway without fr£&@/* it up.
Makes you wonder if BA will actually be able to land until the work is finished.
THIRD WORLD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vote Yes!
Hell no
@ 6.33 Did you forget to check with CPR because their figures keep rising. Is it 300 million or 400 million or 500million even. Better call Mario.
There is noway it is going to be 200mil. if it took 1mil. to build a sidewalk. 1-2 bil. range is more accurate.
i guess it is good that 7.21 didn’t get the contract
Don’t worry about checking with Mario, not even he will be able to tell you what the end price will be on the port, that will be anybody’s guess but I would certainly think it will be more, a lot more based on the governments track record..
BA passengers you are entitled to hotels food etc all at airlines expense, keep receipts (sorry no alcohol – ba won’t pay for that)
Surely down to CIAA they messed up.
BA will be making a big claim.
That would be nice if it was true, but it is not. They aren’t responsible for GCM runways, only their own planes and crew.
From
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2271213/How-claim-EU-flight-delay-compensation-EC-261-2004.html
What can’t I claim?
Your expenses should be reasonable such as a hotel similar to the standard of the one you were staying in or a simple meal.
Living it large and then trying to charge it to the airline is unlikely to work.
You are also unlikely to find airlines paying for the expense of you abandoning your flight and navigating your way home yourself.
Although, if you have taken the simplest and best-value route you may be covered and if you had been advised to get yourself home and that you would be reimbursed by the airline, then you should state this and claim.
This is Money has heard a lot of reports of airlines trying to fob off passengers, deny they are issuing reimbursements or claim that this is not the law. That is untrue and while you may need to be persistent, you should get your money.
If your airline does claim extraordinary circumstances, they need not pay the compensation amounts above but still have a duty of care to look after you and get you where you are meant to be going.
You should tell them that under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 Article 5 you are entitled to be reimbursed or re-routed under Article 8 and also offered assistance, including accommodation, meals and transport under Article 9.
Extraordinary circumstances alright – the airport authority screws up the runway. No way is that the airlines problem. And it’s fairly extraordinary for an airport to total their own runway.
Jotnar..so they totalled the runway eh. Wow that is amazing considering that the runway was reopened before 7.56pm according to the timestamp on this article. Incidentally the headline on this item says that ORIA reopened. Yet with all that info you write a comment suggesting that the runway was totalled. If you believe that it was totalled then you must also believe that they are miracle workers able to rebuild a totalled runway in have it reopen in something like 12 hrs. Or you don’t believe it was totalled but chose to post misleading info.
American/Canadian airlines have different compensation than the EU rules you quoted
Yeah great. But it cuts short my family’s holiday by 2 days at least. 3rd world education. 3rd world services. 3rd world thinking. 3rd world attitude. 5 star world class civil service? Oh my aching sides. Pitiful, just pitiful.
We always plan on screw ups here. Third world to da max.
To 9.04am That’s because people like you are responsible for the screwups.
Another great project organized by the CIG
6.24pm It is indeed. Glad you and I agree on that. Can we now also agree that IDL Projects Ltd , a Canadian Co has the contract to carry out those works. Thank You.
And who was driving the truck?
To 9.05am You?
I thought Who was an MLA
Classic.
An act of incompetence capable of shutting down our economy, and still there will be no accountability.
to 8.27 For IDL?
Are they licensed to trade in Cayman?
IDL is not listed as holder of a LCCL on CIG website. So one can only assume that IDL is a minority partner of the JV holding less than 40%
That would still mean they are carrying on a Trade or Business. Are they or are they not? Everything reported seems to suggest they are.
No numbnuts. The business would be carried on by the JV, at which point IDL doesn’t need a TBL.
No. The business would be carried on by the JV, at which point IDL doesn’t need a TBL.
The JV entity would need a TBL.
For the contractor – which is the JV, not IDL – or CIAA who employed them, or Island Paving who laid the asphalt. Incidentally, appreciate its a popular resort to blaming the foreigners, but look at the signing ceremony for this contract. No one from IDL there – just locals. Hell, IDL doesn’t even show this as an active project of their on their website. One wonders what proportion of the works or the skill sets they are meant to be providing – or are they just providing foreign “aviation expertise” cover for DECCO and Island Paving. Guess we’ll never get to see the tender documents though.