‘They Left Us Behind’: Woman slams Bahamasair after being stranded in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa 

Bahamas: A Bahamian woman who was stranded in Jamaica due to Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is accusing Bahamasair of abandoning passengers after cancelling flights with no prior notice. She is saying that the regional airline failed to do enough to evacuate their passengers before the monstrous storm struck.

The female who is a resident of Abaco said that she is a survivor of Hurricane Dorian, and she had to endure the trauma of another storm while taking shelter at the Dreams Rose Hall Resort in Jamaica’s Montego Bay.

According to The Tribune, the female was among dozens of Bahamians who travelled to Jamaica to attend the wedding for former Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield’s brother however, they all ended up stranded as the hurricane made landfall on Tuesday afternoon. The group of over 50 people from Bahamas were scheduled to return aboard Bahamasair on Sunday however their flight was cancelled as the storm was approaching.

While the airline announced the cancellation through its official social media accounts, the passenger is slamming them for leaving them in the storm hit country.

The traveller called upon Bahamasair and said as a flag carrier, they let them down and added that there is so much more they could have done and how can they not come back for them without any valid explanation.

She further described the situation a ‘disaster’ and said that the situation escalated when the roof collapsed in the dining area of the resort while the guests were having their lunch. This prompted the hotel staff to move them to another area. She said that everyone ended in panic mode and the country was left almost destroyed.

Meanwhile, Bahamasair has commented on the situation through on official press release and has firmly rejected claims that the airline abandoned its travellers. The airline highlighted that passenger as well as crew safety is their highest priority and noted that from the first official alert on October 21, the informed the passengers about the developing storm and the possibility of flights being suspended.

A relief flight was successfully operated from Jamaica before Hurricane Melissa’s peak which allowed all passengers who arrived at the airport within the operational window to return safely to The Bahamas. In the specific case highlighted by recent media reports, the airline affirmed that the group lead opted to remain behind and advised members they could take the relief flight if they wished, however, no one did within the required timeframe, and operations had to be suspended once conditions worsened.

Bahamasair further extended its empathy to everyone impacted and reaffirmed its commitment to safety and continued support for its customers.