Caribbean Airlines - Travel Extras - Customer Information

CONTINGENCY PLAN

Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays in the USA

To ensure minimal customer inconvenience during lengthy delays on the ground, Caribbean Airlines’ plan for providing customer comfort during irregular operations is outlined below.

Lengthy tarmac delays can result from unusually severe weather conditions, government-imposed operating restrictions, air traffic control issues, or other issues associated with the airport facilities. Even though these causes of lengthy tarmac delays are outside of Caribbean Airlines’ control, we shall coordinate with all appropriate agencies to ensure that the following policies will be implemented.

	Caribbean Airlines will not permit an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than four hours without the opportunity for customers to disembark. This applies to both arriving and departing flights unless the pilot-in-command determines there is a safety-related or security-related reason precluding this, or Air Traffic Control advises that returning to the gate or other disembarkation point would significantly disrupt airport operations.
	Caribbean Airlines will provide at least a snack and potable water, from the on-board catering supplies, no later than two hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of a departure) or touches down (in the case of an arrival) if the aircraft remains on the tarmac. If the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude this service, then this may not be provided.
	Operable lavatory facilities will be available while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.
	Adequate medical attention, if needed, will be available while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.
	The flight crew will ensure that information on the status of the delay is available to the passengers on the delayed flight at least every thirty minutes while the aircraft is delayed, including the reasons for the tarmac delay, if known.
	Caribbean Airlines will notify the passengers on the delayed flight beginning 30 minutes after scheduled departure time (including any revised departure time that passengers were notified about before boarding) and every 30 minutes thereafter that they have the opportunity to disembark from an aircraft that is at the gate or another disembarkation area with the door open if the opportunity to disembark actually exists.
	Our plan will be coordinated with airport authorities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Transportation Security Administration at each of our U.S.A. stations and at predetermined diversion stations as appropriate.
	Caribbean Airlines will make every effort to provide sufficient resources to deliver this plan.