ST. JOHN’S, Antigua -Caribbean Star Airlines announced that it has postponed plans to offer new service to/from Curacao. The move comes as the carrier re-focuses and expands its efforts toward achieving Category One status under the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).
William E. “Skip” Barnette, president and CEO of Caribbean Star and its sister airline, Caribbean Sun, commented on the postponement, stating: “Cat One is our top priority right now. We’ve made tremendous strides throughout the year in elevating our customer care to world-class standards, but before we can offer our steadily improving product to a broader cross-section of the Caribbean, we must achieve Category One certification. Our operations staff and key executives are working closely with ECCAA officials to ensure the successful completion of the Category One recertification process.”
Barnette went on to reinforce Caribbean Star’s commitment to the Curacao market.
“Caribbean Star is 100% committed to offering service to Curacao. Again, with our emphasis on customer care, we’re being proactive and offering customers already ticketed on the postponed service full refunds. It’s our way of apologizing and showing good faith that we will be back before you know it.”
All Caribbean Star passengers ticketed and confirmed for postponed travel to/from Curacao are eligible for full refunds of all ticket charges. To claim compensation, Caribbean Star customers must send their tickets via regular mail to the following address:
Caribbean Star Airlines
Attn: Revenue Accounts/Refund Department
PO Box 1628 W
Powells
St. Johns, Antigua
Caribbean Star’s new Curacao service was originally scheduled to begin July 13, 2006, providing a new air link between Antigua in the northeast Caribbean and Curacao in south by way of Trinidad.
The ECCAA, which regulates the aviation industry in Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries, was awarded Category One status by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2006, requiring OECS-based carriers like Caribbean Star to be certified under the new guidelines in order to gain clearance to expand operations. Such provisions are required under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) program.
Established in August 1992, the IASA program focuses on a country’s ability, not an individual carrier’s, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
