THE SKIES ABOVE the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) were effectively a no-fly zone for several hours yesterday.
And while the skies might have been clear, the scene on the ground was one of chaos, hustle and bustle as the status of flights changed from “on time”, to “delayed”, to “cancelled” due to an air traffic controllers (ATC) strike undertaken in support of Barbados Water Authority (BWA)workers pressing for millions of dollars in back pay.
The air traffic controllers industrial action grounded flights between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Hundreds of passengers could be seen congregating at various points in the airport and most notably among them were members of the Barbados CARIFTA team whose original flight on LIAT to Grenada for the regional athletics meet had been delayed.
Both the team’s manager and head coach explained that the athletes were still in good spirits and focused on the task at hand.