Cubans have been stranded for more than 20 hours in airports in Guyana and Suriname due to non-compliance by the airline Fly AllWays

After spending around 15 hours stranded at Georgetown airport, Guyana, waiting for a flight from the Fly AllWays airline, a group of Cubans who were to return to Cuba this Tuesday were transferred to Suriname, where they have been waiting for hours to return to their country.

In two Facebook posts, Alfredo Ballesteros denounced the vicissitudes that Cubans are suffering since Tuesday night, when they arrived at the Cheddi Jagan international airport, with the intention of boarding the flight to Cuba.

The passengers, who initially had tickets to travel this Wednesday, "received a communication from the airline that they should be at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on the night of the 14th (last night) at 9:30 pm," Ballesteros said.

But when they arrived, “it was already said there that the plane had not left Cuba. The night promised to be long. There women, elderly people, children...”, he commented.

The travelers remained at the airport all night “without water, food, not even the slightest attention,” nor any explanations from the Surinamese airline.

“Will Fly Allways compensate in any way for this matter?"Ballesteros asked, and cited an audio message that one of the stranded passengers sent him via WhatsApp: "They told us that the airline is not responsible for giving us accommodation or anything."I had never seen anything like it..."

Ballesteros recalled that “Fly Allways is the only (airline) that flies directly between Havana and Georgetown, making it an option for many who do not want to make stopovers,” but he also referred to the “risks” and bad experiences that have passengers suffered with the company.

“It is no longer just the issue of arriving late to Guyana and jeopardizing the interview appointment of many (I have suggested not traveling by Fly Allways the day before the interview),” he warned, “it is also the inconsideration of changing tickets.” , leaving people overnight at the airport - without water, food, or even the slightest attention. 'No one from the airline has behaved there,' a relative tells me on the phone. They are human, Cubans! and the airline and its workers are obliged to respond and attend.”

“Who attends, who responds to the Cubans at the airport? “What time will you leave Guyana?” were the closing questions of his first publication, in the morning.

Hours later, in a second post in which he included a video, Ballesteros updated that they spent “the whole night in Georgetown (due to the irresponsibility of Fly Allways) and The only food they were given was a spicy hamburger with a soft drink and a glass of water.”. Besides, "No one from the airline showed up to give answers.”, according to travelers.

After about 15 hours stranded at the Georgetown airport, the Cubans were taken to Suriname, “where they are at the moment I write,” he reported. “It is no longer a delay due to a technical failure. It is a sign of insensitivity, disrespect, inconsideration. "Do they not respond to the Cubans?"

Ballesteros assured that "the bad times are going to continue - unfortunately - as long as people do not claim compensation from the airline and as long as the agencies (that sell tickets) do not insist on its formality."

At the time of publishing this note, the Fly Allways company has not issued any official communication about the causes of the flight delay..

It is unknown if the Cubans will have returned to Cuba, after approximately 21 hours waiting for the flight.

The Surinamese airline launched direct flights between Georgetown, Guyana, and the Cuban capital in 2022. The inaugural flight took place on July 23 and it was announced then that it would operate the route once a week with a 180-seat aircraft.

The new itinerary allowed Cuban travelers - attracted by Guyana's free visa and in need of attend immigration interviews at the United States embassy in the South American country- could travel to Georgetown without having to do so through neighboring Suriname or another region of Latin America.

Previously, Fly Allways had already included Cuba in its destinations, with flights from Paramaribo, capital of Suriname, to Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba and Havana. In mid-June 2022, it received authorization from the Cuban government to operate a direct, non-stop route between Georgetown and Havana.