The Guyana government on Wednesday criticised American Airlines for continuing to ‘pay scant regard’ to its requests after two Caribbean Community (Caricom) prime ministers became the latest high-level officials to fall victim to the airline’s policy.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the airline had refused to allow Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his St Vincent and the Grenadines colleague, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who were here attending the 2023 International Energy Conference and Expo, to check-in through the VIP Lounge at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Noting that it was not taking any blame for the undignified treatment of the visiting Caribbean leaders, the ministry said that based on previous similar experiences with American Airline, the carrier had been asked formally to accord the necessary treatment to the two leaders to no avail.
“All government protocols were in place to facilitate their departure. Despite American Airlines having been written to, prior to the arrival of the prime ministers in Guyana, for them to be accorded the courtesies of check-in on departure from the VIP Lounge, the airline refused to acquiesce to the ministry’s request and insisted that the prime ministers leave the lounge to present themselves to the check-in counter,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry said the Guyana government intends to formally communicate its displeasure of this most recent action by the airline that has caused “embarrassment not only nationally, but also to our regional friends.”
The airline said it “sincerely regrets the inconvenience” caused to the two visiting prime ministers, who were travelling to Miami, en route to the Bahamas for the 44th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit that gets underway in Nassau later on Wednesday evening.
The Foreign Ministry said the Guyana government had previously protested this position taken by American Airlines against its own senior government officials but without success.
“They have continued to pay scant regard to the Government’s requests for entitlements to the positions held to be respected,” the ministry concluded
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Just be like those you serve. How hard is that?
Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! “The Afrocentric Paradigm is a revolutionary shift in thinking proposed as a constructural adjustment to black dislocation, disorientation, decenteredness and lack of agency.” – Dr. Molefi Asante, Afrocentricity, The Theory of Social Change!
Come now my Brother celebrate Caribbean SIDS leadership who could not exert their Nation’s Standing and Agency! Don’t think anyone would expect former national leaders Bush, Clinton , Obama or Trump to suffer a similar fate without them exerting their agency! I guess Michelle would expect Barack to go high and join the regular queue, walk away if AA went low and denied him the privilege!
A read of the comments shows that even as the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2014 comes to the end, Caribbean People of African descent continue living the illusions that we are working for national growth and development and building a Caribbean Civilization in our own best interest by holding on to the margins of Eurocentric political, economic, socio-cultural, and legal constructs and being chief apologists for European, North Atlantics and White Supremacist Thinking!
OH Gad! Hab Merci Pan Arwe!
A Luta Continua!
Nuff Said!
It’s very typical of our slave masters to treat us as slaves that they still think we are and it’s very typical to use the tactic of divide and conquer. Some of our leaders will be accorded the VIP treatment that is in keeping with International protocol and some will be accorded the treatment of “rebellious slaves” especially as they see our leaders are beginning to unite and speak with one voice. They will employ all tactics to prevent this from happening across all platforms. Pay attention my peoples. The struggle continues.
Poor babies. Bunch of 🤡’s can wait in line like the rest.
Look what Gaston cause now! 🤣🤣🤣
Look how airport authorities are now looking into Caribbean Prime Ministerial travelling arrangements.
More to come mi ah tell you … 😂😂😂
… I hope he get blocked from travelling, just like the autochthonous Antiguans that had valid passports during Covid-19, and were prevented from flying ✈ back home.
Karma soon come 😁
What the hell wrong with your BITTER ASS? Bad-talk Antigua and Barbuda at ever possible chance… it’s just sick now. Why you don’t go get a fuking life …. Gaston Browne for FIVE More Fuking YEARS…. tek Dat and Smoke it RH
Gaston Browne doesn’t deserve to run the country that I love and adore, I hope that’s OK with you @ Local Youth.
You may like the way he conducts himself on the worldwide stage, if you enjoy and condone his behaviour … Good luck wid dat, you dumb cretinous fool – GO SUCK ON A 🍋
It’s clowns like you that thinks it is alright for Gaston Browne to BAN Antiguans for returning to their homes during Covid-19 pandemic, and then to go on and tear-gass women and children on Teargas Sunday?
Bwoy, you definitely can’t fix stupid …
Big up to the airline, let them check in.
Dumb ass
But it’s OK for us to give their leaders royal treatment….. something really wrong with our crab in a barrel people
We love our slave masters. The right thing to do is deny visiting US officials access to the VIP Lounge, but do we have the balls to do that and why is it only happening in Guyana?
What’s wrong with these rogues holding office of prime mistake of the slave plantation mentality islands, that they can’t be treated like all other passengers boarding? They should even search their bags, cause these rogues holding power on these slave plantation mentality islands are involved in so much wrong doings! They need to take a taste of their own medicine 💊!
Because there is a higher security risk
Dumb ass
do better AA!
Just as how UPP is struggling for leadership, so Pringle would have been put aside. Pringle needs oratorical classes.
@Pringle needs: Do you still “piss”your bed? I say “piss” for it is not a so called bad word. Some would ask if you still wet your bed. That is not my style. For wetting your bed could mean you threw water on your bed.
What is wrong with pissing one’s bed? I’m sure I can make your girl piss her bed in 5 minutes. Would you berate her because of that?
Please don’t disrespect people.
Them can cuss until them teeth drop out and hair fall off of them head Our PM is a blessing unlike them miserable souls who can never ever be Prime Minister for nothing so keep on cussing can quarrel with God for doing his work , ten more years if he wants it , God is in control.
… and God can take away as well. You’d do well to remember this FACT also @ Bush Counselor.
It’s simple you know…..
When their dignitaries come to your country, just treat them with the same respect that they treated you.
Simple……
When I was a Purser on a 757 doing a jfk Haiti and back when Obama was still in orrice I worked at aa…. The global leadership summit or g6 or something… Whatever was being held in new York… And the aa agents in pap port au prince Haiti literally held the plane for 30 plus minutes (no one told the crew anything) I asked for door. Closure and the agents said no we’re waiting for our president…. Of the airport? Huh? No the president of Haiti they held the plane for almost an hour. I had the president and his chief of staff in my first class and during purser (flight leader) training they gave us a sheet on how to address dignitaries and I saw president male of a country “Mr. President” I’m like that ain’t ever gunna happen and well it did! I actually got to say “Mr. President, would you be joining us for dinner this evening and chicken or beef sir?” the chief of staff kinda put his hand up like don’t talk to him only through me…. Pheeesh brief us (the crew-like they did when Madonna was flying us don’t talk to her ever or ask her anything leave her alone the entire flight) then otherwise I’m gunna get that direct use of “Mr. President”. Another notch marked in a chaotic but used to be wonderful career.
Wow typos sorry
Come on Folks! American Airlines consider these countries as Banana Republics. So, what do you expect? To compare them to the treatment of Obama the leader of the most powerful country in the world, is a fallacy. In spite of how unfortunate. Wake up and smell the coffee folks
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