Travelers across the Caribbean are facing renewed disruptions after Caribbean Airlines (CAL) grounded several flights this month, impacting multiple islands and causing delays and cancellations across vital routes. On September 13, 2025, CAL grounded three flights—BWA232, BWA233 and BWA275—that served connections between Barbados, Grenada, Martinique and Trinidad and Tobago, leading to seven delayed operations in addition to the cancellations.
These cancellations come amid a broader wave of disruption affecting regional connectivity. Thousands of passengers have been disrupted by 14 cancellations at InterCaribbean Airways, affecting airports in Grenada, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos.
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These issues are not limited to weather-related events—operational constraints like cockpit crew shortages have also been cited. For example, on August 20, CAL grounded as many as 37 flights due to a surge in pilot sick calls, affecting both international and domestic routes.
Meanwhile, a regional satellite communication outage in May disabled a key system (SITA) used by CAL and other carriers, causing delays for flights scheduled from Trinidad and Tobago to destinations like Bridgetown, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Georgetown.
Passengers impacted by these disruptions are dealing with missed connections, longer wait times, and difficulties in securing alternate travel arrangements. Tourism sectors in islands reliant on air traffic are also being hurt by the decline in reliability. CAL has issued statements promising relief: rebooking, refunds, and better communications as efforts are made to restore service.
