CAL flight to Tobago and back was great

THE EDITOR: I went Tobago for a recent weekend, carried the family, decided against the boat because of the time, rented a car, and it was great.

Hopped on the plane, an ATR BW1500, left at 5.45 am, just like the boarding pass said, and touched down 20 minutes later in Tobago.

I returned the Sunday afternoon on the same ATR, but BW1509, and it was smooth sailing, touching down at Piarco 20 minutes later. Punctual, great customer service, cool plane, and some real fine flight attendants.

I joked with the boarding attendants about the plane not being the one that had the fuel problem, because that would be crazy. But Caribbean Airlines is a very safe and reliable airline.

I agree with CAL that TTALPA's assertions are indeed reckless. For short flights like that the planes aren't at full capacity; less weight means less stress for the engines.

There is no way that the plane left without fuel. If the left engine was not getting a supply of fuel then that means most likely the feeder jet pump failed and that could have happened mid-flight, even though it was a short flight. No fault of the pilots or support staff.

These planes are designed to fly with one engine, so it was a one in a million coincidence.

Listening to the video footage means that the pilot treated it very seriously, despite it being a small plane. Credit those guys, they are proof of CAL's outstanding expertise and professionalism, and further proof that they deserve a substantial rise.

Over to you Minister Imbert.

KENDELL KARAN

Chaguanas