The flight arrived in Kingston from Grand Cayman Friday morning and was scheduled to depart NMIA at 8:50am for Montego Bay en route to Grand Cayman. After passengers in Kingston boarded the flight, however, they were asked to deboard and told the plane would not take off due to “mechanical problems”, according to George Hudson, a Bodden Town resident who was travelling with his wife and two children. He says he was later told the flight would leave at 6:15pm but didn’t depart until after 9pm.

“I understand that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but there’s nobody here to just offer some other advice; ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do.’ Because they don’t know,” said Hudson.

“No information and that’s what has me so upset right now.”

Multiple calls and an email sent to a Cayman Airways spokesperson were not returned.

“Up to now, are we going to be sleeping in Jamaica tonight or are we gonna get out of here?” said Hudson.

The NMIA website listed the flight as ‘cancelled/closed’ at about 4:15pm. Hudson later told the Cayman Compass CAL officials did offer an update that they would depart at 6:15pm. The airport then changed the flight’s status to ‘delayed’. The flight did not leave for nearly three hours after that.

Hudson was not sure if it was a different plane than passengers were originally scheduled to take. That information was not immediately available on the NMIA website.

Hudson said passengers did receive a lunch voucher and were only told to stay in the departure lounge for more information.