LIAT passengers stranded for hours as flight delays spark outrage in St. Kitts

St. Kitts and Nevis: LIAT Air passengers travelling from St Kitts to destinations including Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia on Monday complained of hours-long delays, poor communication and inadequate customer service after their flights were disrupted.

Travellers reported that the airline representative provided them little or no information despite repeated inquiries as the passengers were waiting for more than five hours at the airport. Passengers also criticised the airline for failing to provide meals or refreshments during the delays.

One Passenger said a flight that was scheduled to depart at 9 a.m. had still not left by early afternoon. Another passenger traveling to Saint Lucia said passengers were forced to seek updates themselves after no announcement was made about the delay.

Travellers reported that the disruptions negatively affected their work commitments and tarnished their experience of enjoyable visits to the St Kitts Music Festival. One passenger said that he had been stranded overnight in Antigua after an eight-hour delay and remarked the airline’s communication as “non-existent.”

Several initial reports allege that the delays may have been linked to documentation issues affecting refuelling in St Kitts, though the claims remain unverified.

LIAT Air has not yet publicly commented on the complaints or provided any official explanation for the operational delays as people are showcasing their frustration over the internet.

A user named Wanderlust Oats hereby commented on a social media post, “Liat is worst of the worst I only book liat as a complete last resort.”

Another user commented, “It is not only LIAT. Sunrise is worse and InterCaribbean is worserer. It is high time that the governments of the OECS enact serious legislation to protect their citizens. The Sunrise staff is St. Kitts are some of the rudest staff I have ever met in my life. The St. Kitts government should be immediately concerned as no one may fly to their Music Festival next year. I am calling on our governments to stand up for our people. Unless it is an Act of God, airlines are responsible for food and hotels when they cancel flights. Lots of Antiguans now cannot get home for work tomorrow.”