The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Discover Dominica Authority and the Honorary Consul of France in Dominica have sought to clarify the circumstances of a recent incident involving French nationals from Guadeloupe who were in transit in Dominica on March 9, 2014.
The group of French nationals alleges they were mistreated while they were on the island.
In a release on Monday the following “clarifications” were made:
1. The passengers who were scheduled to travel to Guadeloupe from Puerto Rico were in transit in Dominica on a LIAT flight which landed at Melville Hall Airport. The passengers had already endured flight delays during the flight and on arrival in Dominica they were not provided with sufficient information on their eventual departure to Guadeloupe by LIAT.
2. The passengers verbally protested the treatment they received by LIAT, and not receiving any update from the airline, their displeasure was communicated to security and immigration officials on duty at the airport.
3. A group of these passengers entered the secure zone of the airport, that is the path leading to the tarmac when a security officer opened the door. The passengers refused to return to the in transit lounge even after being warned that it was against the law to be on the tarmac without proper authorisation. This being the case, the police were called in to maintain order and were left with no choice but to arrest the passengers who refused to comply to the police orders to leave the secure zone.
4. The Honorary Consul was informed of the incident, and was aware of the situation at all times. The passengers were in no way mistreated during the incident. Free accommodation was offered to the children ages 8, 15 and 19 however the parents refused this offer.
5. Arrangements were made by the Honorary Consul for the children to be flown to Guadeloupe by private charter the next day. The Honorary Consul personally facilitated the departure of the children to Guadeloupe on March 10, 2014.
6. The passengers who were detained were brought before the Courts the next day since they had broken the laws of Dominica. The detained passengers were fined for the offense committed in keeping with the laws of Dominica. After this, they demanded that the Honorary Consul make flight arrangements for their return to Guadeloupe.
“In circumstances where the law of the country is broken, the Honorary Consul is not obligated to repatriate persons to their country of origin,” the release said. “We have since received confirmation that the passengers were reimbursed by LIAT for the charter flights (for the parents and children) from Dominica to Guadeloupe.”
The release also said that “Dominica welcomes all visitors to its shores, and regrets that the visiting passengers had such an unpleasant experience in Dominica en route to Guadeloupe. We also wish to state that the Commonwealth of Dominica is a sovereign nation and officials charged with maintaining law and order are duty bound to uphold the laws of the land.”
French consul, Herve Nizzard, had previously told DNO that the incident would not affect the relationship that exists between Dominica and Gaudeloupe.
As a passenger of LIAT waiting at Melville Hall since 7 a.m. on the morning of March 9, 2014; I too was frustrated, annoyed and fed up of LIAT’s constant inefficiencies. Seventeen of us were in the lounge for more than 14 hours waiting for the employees to offer us some sort of solution to the problem that LIAT created. They themselves, were in the same bracket as us the passengers. They had no idea, and could not give a straight answer at any point in time that you did get to see them surface from the office. For them, it must be quite disheartening to work for a company that offers no immediate communication with them. Everything is out of Antigua and Barbados, and they call the shots. SAD!!
Nevertheless, the French nationals were upset, yes; but had no right to land on Dominican soil and call Dominica “stinking”, “dirty”, “dog”. We would have never done that if the tables were turned.
I felt no empathy for the French nationals, not the way they behaved and the negative things they said about Dominica. We are not beggars, we are the most loving, sympathetic people in the Caribbean. That is a fact!! To come and attack the country verbally like that, when in fact, LIAT was the problem, was just uncalled for!
There were a group of American students at the airport trying to get back to Ohio from spending their Spring Break in Dominica, and they too were surprised at the French nationals’ behavior.
I applaud the Immigration Officers/Police Officers for taking a stand for what is right and just. Not because they are “French” that gives them the right to behave that way.
Kudos also to the security personnel at the airport( the people in brown and tan)they were so genuinely concerned for our hardship and always came by offering comforting words.
If only there was another airline………..sigh!!!
LIAT messed up, but the Gwadas should have chilled out. There is no place in the world where passengers go on the tarmac to protest flight delays and/or problems…one can be charged with “terrorism” for that.
and is to hear them on Guadeloupe 1er tears running down their eyes saying how they sleep on floor without food bla bla bla not saying what they did was wrong but i always know it had lies behind that as i told alot of the french people pani lafumé sans feu. there is no smoke without fire. they too like that dem french people like to be boss as if they higher than others but not me i always defend my DA when i can
readers as a passenger on the long awaited flight, i have to give my piece as from the start the french folks were wrong. you cant come into an airport and make noises , cursing saying funny things about country etc. if they had respect they would not have done that infront of kids and other passengers. their flight landed about 820 or there about meeting other passengers there who were there from morning. reall the flight to guadeloupe was scheduled to depart at 6.55 pm and if that was so they would not have been on the flight. people need to learn to behave themselves no matter where they come from. they were even given a letter by liat saying when the flight was going to be leaving for guadeloupe, in my years of flying on liat and constantly being delayed, one time for 22 hours. everytime i travel on liat i have a delay and no shorter that 4 hours. those folks were taken to restaurant and back without even getting properly scanned by security, what more did they want from dominica?.
Liat folks did not come to speak to them when they ask to see them this is when they exploded, they had no right to get out on airside of terminal and even in my presence they were calmly ask over and over to get back inside they never did. how much of that could the folks at airport take, my God if it was a local they would maybe have gotten the army for them. the flight landed in guadeloupe after arriving in dominica on the time given by liat. BUT REALLY HOW MUCH MORE OF THAT CAN PASSENGERS TAKE FROM LIAT?.
There were passengers from all over, canada, engload, usa, sxm, svg, anu, stx, stt,and more why didnt we get on bad as we were there long time before the french. yes the aircraft flew over guadeloupe but it could not being the fault of dominica.
I STRONGLY THINK THE FRENCH PEOPLE NEED TO GIVE AN APOLOGY TO THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA.
I have a copy of the letter given to french passengers i can publish it.
if anyone would do that in guadeloupe they would never even get out of jail.
what if we passengers had denied to let the other get on flight with us knowing that they we bahaving out of their mind?. we would have being labeled but the french did all that broke all the laws and got away with it other than being arrested.
ONCE AGAIN SINCE DOMINICA AIRPORT DOSENT SEEM TO HAVE A CLOSING TIME LIAT WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND MORE..
WE ALL NEED TO RESPECT THE LAWS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE TO BIG TO UNDERSTAND. STILL AWAITING THE APOLOGY BY FRENCH PASSENGERS…… THEY LIED AND ALL TO REPORTERS OF UNTRUE TREATMENT. NOT GOOD AT ALL… AM WAITING…
If
Whatsoever Dominicans suffer at the hands of LIAT is absolutely deserving! Our people should not complain about any hardship they suffer while traveling on LIAT, because that is our nation’s; both government and people desire.
LIAT is all they want; that is the ambition of the government and people of the country!
Why are we not in the streets demonstrating against the government and LIAT, let our marching slogan be “we doh want it.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
How many times when the subject of an international airport came up we heard our ignorant, people and politicians object to the idea? How many times we stood and listen to the opponents of progress in our country say in reference to the building of an International Airport “we doh want it.”
When the opponents even those who profess to be leaders of the country, such as Prime Minister hopeful are asks why (we doh want it?) their response was always, “because Antigua, and Barbados have one already.” I got into a conversation with a one time very powerful political hopeful who eventually served in the coalition government as Agricultural Minister. The night when he announced in a meeting in Wesley that he was going to bring all the opposition forces together to combined forces and defeat the UWP.
After the meeting we sat and talked; in that conversation, I asked that illustrious politician, why he objects to the construction of the International Airport, his response was “it is not that we object, however we believe the matter should be discoursed”, I discovered he meant Edison James should have sat with him and the late Rosie Douglas, and every Labor Party clown, and kiss their behind to get their permission to build the Airport.
Needless, to say efforts were on the way for the first phase of the construction to commenced, the contractors from Trinidad were all in Dominica, the project was already finance, and funded, as I said earlier, 80% of the cost was funded by the government of Trinidad & Tobago, money was also donated by governments of the People’s Republic of China, and others. The reason the Trinidadian were in Dominica doing the construction is because the government of Trinidad had a similar arrangement as the Chines have with the present Labor Party government, where they will loan us money, however they will spend it on whatever purpose it is borrowed for; (if it is for the building of a box), the project must be undertaken by the Chines.
The Trinidadian’s commenced the work, however, by the time the coalition siege power, they ordered the contractors out of the country, and shelved the project, they had no plans to see Dominica make that leap forward. Remember the conversation I mentioned, in that same conversation, I was informed Some self-centered Trinidadian in the person of Ian Bertrand advised the coalition government not to build an International Airport, because all we needed to do was refurbish our dilapidated, and out dated municipal, and install landing lights; he tried the same selfish advise on Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent, that is where Ralph got the idea from to sucker this labor party into blocking progress in our country, while he proceeded to construct an International Airport in his country.
I can write a bock about the lack of ambition, and stupidity of our people, and government, for the rest of our life we will continue to say “we doh want it, because it is too expensive, and Antigua and Barbados have one already!” Let me concluded that it was in Bertrand’s interest to see to it that Dominica and St. Vincent did not get an international airport, because his job as an municipal airport overseer would be instantly eliminated the day ours went into operation.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Customer Service in Dominica so terrible; the people need to be trained on how to deal with visitors.
Can someone explain to me the reason why Liat fly over Guadeloupe to Dominica, then back again to Guadeloupe.
Well done to the Staff at Melville Hall!!!
These people are ridiculous, you cant tell me because you’re having issues with the airline you was breach airport security measures and violate a country’s laws.
This is NOT acceptable in ANY country!!, Why didn’t they try that in San Juan, PR where they were delayed and their frustrating ordeal began?
I’m telling you they would have been in some HOT oil with TSA and Police
These people like to think because some of our islands are small they can do as they please.
The new Discover Dominica strap line will soon read, “Stay away from Dominica or visit at your own risk of being robbed, raped, arrested and deported!”
Even though it would affect the relationship who the h… do they think the are.
Obvliously they believe that they are above Dominican because of the Euro and we in turn make them think that it is so I truly disagree with them firstly we are independent and no one is starving in DA.
Secondly they are under white rule and afraid to stand on their own, to own a flag they call their own etc. Look at Barbados, Antigua, St.Lucia, Grenada, and Dominica they are moving forward without any major mishaps
No one is below the poverty line.Dominica we are not under any ones armpit there is always a grain of fig to eat.
Where in the world could you go through immigration in the way they did and get away with especially a Dominican in Guadeloupe they would have more than mistreated them please do not forget that they see English speaking people as no body.
Dominica is not responsible for Liat we do not even have a say despite that is the only means of trafic for us in the region.
I hate the fact that all the other Islands in the caribbean put DA down and place themselves way above, I believe that one of the reasons is because Dominicans believe that everywhere else in the world is up to standard except DA not me no way Dominica has all the qualities and above as far as I am concerned..
LIAT is an unprofessional airline,and has been getting away with this nonsense for to long now,the French may have acted out of order by proceeding towards the tarmac but that nonsense would get anyone upset.LIAT STOP THIS.
Hello and good morning my people. Well we are a Democratic Country and we are governed by Laws, Rules and Regulations. If one is in a secure location within the airport and you were asked by our Police Officers to leave but you refused to then you leave yourself open to arrest. I don’t see any issue in arresting them after they refused to comply with a lawful order because this happens in many countries everyday. If they were arrested at JFK Airport in NYC it would take them three days before they see a Judge. Liat have too many issues in that they make people travel in circles before you get to your destination and the Government should fine Liat every time they treat passengers like that. Liat is a dis functional airline and they can’t maintain a simple schedule.
What I do not understand, is if an explanation is given in regards to the incident; what does the lighted yellow, and pink Elephant have to do with the explanation?
Then again maybe the reason they went in the secured area, was simply to get a better look at what they thought was a lighted Christmas tree, or perhaps some decorated house on Christmas eve eh!
Or maybe they thought it was time for them to catch their phantom 2:30 A.M flight out to Guadeloupe on LIAT 777, or 747, or perhaps a special LIAT DC 5, or DC 8 so they went to board their flight nu!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Francisco E. Telemaque
They broke the law! Every country has rules, respect ours. All actions taken by our law enforcement and court seem reasonable.
I am disappointed LIAT reimburse these people though
Through the years LIAT has not changed one bit. One year on a visit to D/ca, I flew from Canada to B/dos thinking I would get a flight to D/ca – Canefield airport and arrive early enough in D/ca.
which makes me laugh today whenever I recall this incident. They got a plane which came from T & T. We were told that it would take us to Guadeloupe and from there we would take another plane to Canefield. I had booked to get off at Canefiled.
In B/dos, while waiting for the flight to D/ca, we were notified that LIAT was late. Then we were told LIAT did not have a plane to take us home. Well, it was getting late. I did get angry and asked to speak to the manager. I told the manager he better get a plane to fly us to Dominica.
This is the classic.
While on the plane the pilot told us there is a plane waiting for us at the Guadeloupe airport. We got off the plane, did not even enter the airport building and headed quickly to the plane which looked like it was parked on the side of the airport/tarmac. We left one plane and boarded another to D/ca. This plane was small. It flew low. I could see the sea reefs. Well, thank God we arrived safely in Canefield that evening. It was a sort of experience.
Another disappointment was our luggage did not arrive. Those of us who traveled together went the following afternoon to the Customs to identify and pick up our luggage. Only two of us got our luggage. The following day the other luggage arrived. So much for LIAT.
This is the plight of passengers who travel on LIAT, not knowing if they will arrive on time at their destination and the same day. How many passengers have gone through this?
I do think it is high time that LIAT should make a concerted effort to straighten up its system so that flights leave and arrive on time. Passengers should not have to go through this delay.
It is time to charge LIAT for those late take-off and late arrivals. Canada is now doing that If their tardiness is not caused by a summer or snow storm or emergencies. Canadians have also suffered due to domestic and international flights from Canada and back. If it is their fault, the airline will have to pay the passengeers and not $100 as previously. If I recall the minimum is $500.00. This entails international flights. It is time for the government of those islands to do something about LIAT and compensate its passengers for same. You have CARICOM. Then do something concrete abut this.
The french are not the most congenial of all people, I saw them in P.R. acting up, and they would not have done that any where else, respect our country, the blame was on liat, and the people who work for liat is to be blame, not the government of D.A..
Well so far alot of french people think its a money making history and Many dont wanna pût their foot in DA . This history made a big hit cool !!
LIAT in Antigua should have borne its problem and not lay it on Dominica. Why send the French nationals to D/ca to board a flight to Guadeloupe? I was not aware LIAT would do this. Why not keep them at the A/gua airport where they would board a flight to Guadeloupe from there? If they were to in-transit it should have been in A/gua. It was LIAT in Antigua responsibility. LIAT A/gua would have had to pay for their overnight stay including meals. They left it to D/ca to bear the cost. What a shame! This was lousy of LIAT. What sort of management does LIAT have?
Did LIAT A/gua not know that there would be no flight to Guadeloupe from D/ca that evening? They should have blamed LIAT A/gua and not Dominica and charged them at that.
Dominica LIAT and the airport authorities did not deserve this. I do think a serious letter should be dispatched to LIAT authorities about this incident indicating that they hope this will not recur.
LIAT can you never do anything right and to please your passengers for once? When they book a flight with you and fly with you, they are at your mercy, full of anxiety, feeling stressful and not knowing if they will arrive at their destination on time and after having paid your exorbitant fare. They deserve better service. When are you going to change? At the end of the world? Too late then! God will hold you accountable for your overall inconsideration of passengers.
I really appreciate the professional way the officers handled the situation. People must respect authority. I think these two adults were really out of order. They were not thinking about their children? Smh! Boy life hard for those costom officers for what they have to put up with because of that wretched airline LIAT! I wish our government had invest in a plane of our own instead.
When weill we build a proper airport? The foolishness that is LIAT shines again. Although that is not an excuse to break the law, their frustration is understood. Hopefully, they will not fly LIAT again!
Yet again, LIAT is the root cause of unbelievable frustration and disruption to their customers. I swear, they will never, ever learn what it actually means to provide customer service.
Well the family in Guadeloupe was making bit show on the 7 pm Tv news bearly talked about liât . If i CAN recall : a republic directed by money and corruption and they were treated worst than animals pût in jail with their kids in the next room bla bla bla
WAIT!!!! LIAT reimbursed them??? So is us Dominicans alone LIAT doh fraid then? Aben weh!!
When an airline is at FAULT that airline MUST REIMBURSE ALL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES. Clearly LIAT was at FAULT for this UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. Also a reimbursement is less cost effective than a LAWSUIT, although the victims can still file that lawsuit.
those french pple too like to think they in charge
i gladdd!!!
they think because guadeloupe more develope dominica poor,
that cannot happen in thier country
shait man!!!!
tell them behaving thier self ehhh stupessss
Do you know we think similarly?
Dominica too fresh boy
In matters like these, we should take a mature and wise approach. The manner in which this matter was handled, as reported in the release,appears to have met these criteria to an agreeable extent.
I wish the same punishment were bestowed upon certain unmannerly Dominicans living in Guadeloupe. On the port of express they are the only one mouths you hear. Insulting the ticket agent and pushing to pass first in the line when its not their turn. I witnessed the captain begging them to sit down until they boat docks for their own security on arrival to DA and they didn’t budge. Blocking the passage with their bags etc.. yelling speaking loudly. Today as we speak I took my son to a private doctor. The doctor put a Dominican outside because she cursed him in patoi because it wasn’t her turn and she wanted to pass before another patient almost physically aggressive to the patient with her umbrella. So although the incident in the melville hall airport does not interfere with the traveling arrangement between DA and Guadeloupe these other matters will at some point. There is only so much the law can take
As soon as they enter the doctor’s office, do they not go to the receptionist who will ask their names and write them on their register and then ask them to take a seat? In this case they know who was before them and who came after them. When their turn comes, they will be called to see the doctor. I hope this is the system practiced at the doctor’s office whereby everyone takes their turn. First come, first served. This is how patients should be treated.
Too bad if someone had a pre-arranged doctor’s appointment and is late. As with any other appointment, the person who arrived before that person should be given preference before the one who was late.
What the doctors’ offices in D/ca should do is to implement a number system whereby everyone who enters register with the receptionist and then takes a number. When the number they have is called, they are then seen by the doctor. Consequently those who are waiting to see the doctor will not get impatient and angry.
I recognize that there are some people who have no discipline. Their attitude is now for now and they do not care who was ahead of them. Some of them are in dire need of discipline. Those who lack it should reside in a progressive country. See how soon they will learn discipline when among other people in such an environment.. They must wait their turn, even though they are angry that their wait is long.
If they get angry and curse the authorities, they will not hesitate to put them out or telephone the police to arrest them.
People do get angry having to wait long but they should conduct themselves in an appropriate manner and respect others. If they always have to wait and too long, they can go to another doctor but this may not change a waiting period, no doubt, especially in Dominica.
They broke the laws of my country so they deserve to endure the consequences.
It is as simple as that. I doh see the need for a fuss and hoorah.
Well said, “me”.
As far as I know there is no transit lounge at Melville Hall, only a departures hall, which has no catering but a vending machine only. and here is no assist/info. desk. Of course, passengers should not be allowed on to the tarmac except for boarding or disembarking but I can understand the frustration of these people, especially in the absence of information from the airport officials.
I would suggest that much heartache and negative press could have been avoided if these few passengers had been allowed to use the VIP facilities
as a good-will gesture. Maybe something to consider for the future?
You should know the reason why there is no in transit lounge at Melville Hall this is not generally a place where people wait to board another plane. D/ca is not an international airport as A/gua and B/dos.
VIP facilities? How often does this occur that LIAT flies passengers to D/ca to get a flight to Guadeloupe?
Yes dominica does have an intransit lounge u fool. When those passengers got off here they did security again like the wud do at any international airport.
You mean all that jooboom the Dominican authorities take on because of Liat’s shupidness? Why they did not just let the people go with a stern warning when they sent the kids home?…. Are these people completely unaware of the phrase that “the law is an ass”? It mean sif you apply the law in its strictest sense all the time that the results would be pure rubbish. So instead discretion and common sense are two important requisites for the proper application of laws! Sheeish man….you guys creating a diplomatic issue nearly because you are unable to discern two very frustrated adults who I am sure had good reason to be at their wits end. It is Liat we are talking about here.
Did you consider the seriousness of this? You did not take this seriously. It is not a joke or one to be taken lightly and caste aside. What if when they entered the prohibited area and unto the tarmac a plane was landing and struck them, injured or killed them. Even if they fell and hurt themselves, who would be blamed? Their family would sue the government, the airport authorities for an exorbitant sum of money. What would you say about that?
Go to ANY airport in AMERICA and run on to the Tarmac and tell me what happen to you… I WAITING
LIAT can upset anyone, why should the French escape LIAT’s abysmal service. Hopefully they will not make the same mistake twice and use a reliable airline next time
This article makes no sense. Having read the article, I have no idea why the in-transit passengers were getting on the way they did!
I emphasize they are ignorant, disobedient and disrespectful. They have much to learn. Their government should give them a lesson in discipline, obedience and respect. Types like that turn me off.
For what they stated about D/ca (according to a comment someone who heard them stated) and walked out near the tarmac and still did not listen and pay heed to the airport authority, then told a lie, saying that they were badly treated in D/ca, I do not have empathy for them.
Read again.
This article makes no sense. Having read the article, I have no idea why the in-transit passengers were getting on the way they!
let me give u an idea,1.they were already delayed en route to Dominica.2. on arrival in Dominica they still could not be provided with sufficient information with regards to their onward journey to their final destination which was Guadeloupe.3after verbally protesting their disgust of having received any update by unprofessional LIAT, THEY ACTED.i hope u understand now.
well done. now clariify the Sochi affair.
Thanks DNO for conveying the explanations. Its is just a travesty hough that the government (in the right or wrong) is always so slow in putting out statements, perhaps not realizing the potential impact to the name of the country, particularly in this age of the internet.
Dude if you read the article… this is coming from a GOVERNMENT press release.. take allyou time and read nuh.. Shate man! and FYI “Authorities” = Government Reps… please and thank you
You see what LIAT causing? Yes LIAT, you don’t usually own up to your responsibility. I guess you guys are paying for what I went through Antigua Airport, a few years ago, when I was beaten up.
LIAT, LIAT , LIAT, please treat people nice.
They were not the only persons on the flight. Yet they were the only ones arrested. The were simply idiots ad got what they deserved.. Announcements were made and there is a display monitor in the departures lounge. The truth is the got incorrect information from a family member in Guadeloupe. Someone in Guadeloupe told them the airport was closed. Liat had already made the necessary arrangements with French authourities for the flight to land. Ppl must stop takig info from non airline employees and just run with it…