Isn’t Tourism Supposed to be About the Tourist? Not in Aruba with the Airport Strike as Planes were Diverted

What part about tourism does Aruba not understand has all to do with the tourist? Keep it up Aruba, here is one sure fire way to further destroy your tourism. Maybe the AHATA would like to sue all the striking public employees as they tried to do with Greta Van Susteren?

Can one only imagine spending all the time planning, let alone saving for a vacation, only to have your plane diverted to another island due to striking airport employees. That is what happened to 4 planes that were bound for Aruba but instead her diverted to Bonaire, Curacao and Puerto Rico. Maybe the tourists should have made their travel plans to those locations instead. In past events when arriving passengers to Aruba saw the strike caused them to be troubled. At least they got to their intended destination. Or maybe that was actually a bad thing?

The airport of Aruba has missed four flights yesterday due to actions of the fire brigade.  Two Continental flights diverted to Bonaire and Curacao.  Also an American flight diverted to Curacao and one of US Airways to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The diversion of the 4 flights was an inconvenience for the passengers, mostly tourists, because it was not until they were in the aircraft that they heard that the aircraft received a different destination, without hotel reservation.  The diversion of the aircrafts had also consequences for the hotel- and the entire tourism sector.

Airport is coping with consequences of the strikes (Amigoe: April 9, 2008)

The airport fire fighters started their actions immediately after the verdict of the judge.

ORANJESTAD – The airport of Aruba has missed four flights yesterday due to actions of the fire brigade.  Two Continental flights diverted to Bonaire and Curacao.  Also an American flight diverted to Curacao and one of US Airways to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) has not decided yet whether she will appeal the decision of the judge to allow actions.  However, spokesperson Hendrik Croes van AAA indicated that AAA will most probably not appeal.  

The judge decided yesterday that collective actions of the fire fighters’ union Sinba are allowed, unless AAA and the government are informed 24 hours in advance of the actions.  They must be at work two full days in a row after one day of strike; three full days after two days of strike; and four full days after three days of strike.

When the actions continue or resumed, the union must always consider this schedule.

The unions have not announced actions for today, not tomorrow.  Airline companies won’t have to divert to other airports today.  The airport could not guarantee a minimum staffing of the fire brigade during the strike hours noon till 18:00.  The Aviation Administration has therefore decided to inform all the companies that were coming to Aruba of this.  That’s when the three airline companies decided to divert.

The diversion of the 4 flights was an inconvenience for the passengers, mostly tourists, because it was not until they were in the aircraft that they heard that the aircraft received a different destination, without hotel reservation.  The diversion of the aircrafts had also consequences for the hotel- and the entire tourism sector.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in Aruba Currently for a safety audit of the airport.  This has nothing to do with the strikes, but it is a sad concurrence of circumstances.  Representatives of AAA and ICAO deliberated this morning and the details whether to continue with the audit was not clear when this paper went to press.  This audit is part of the ICAO inspections of all the airports of the Kingdom.