TS Grace - CAL operations update for Wednesday August 18, 2021

Wednesday August 18, 2021, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: During the passage of Tropical Storm Grace early this morning, Cayman Airways’ two retired B737-300 aircraft that were in storage on the tarmac by the airline’s hangar at Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA), were displaced by the wind from their parked and fully chocked positions. The nose of one of the aircraft came into contact with a perimeter fence, which caused some damage to the radome (removable nose cone). Cayman Airways’ aircraft engineers will thoroughly assess and repair the damage when it is safe to do so, but as these B737-300 aircraft are not in active service, and are currently in a storage program, the airline’s normal operations are not expected to be affected. Cayman Airways’ active duty fleet includes: three B737-8 jet aircraft which were also parked on the tarmac; and two Saab 340B+ planes along with one Twin Otter aircraft which were parked inside the Cayman Airways hangar. All active duty aircraft will also have appropriate inspections and checks accomplished to ensure that each aircraft suffered no hidden damage from exposure to the extreme winds associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Grace, before being returned to service. The airline anticipates having a serviceable fleet of aircraft for Thursday August 18th, provided the results of the necessary inspections and checks prove to be satisfactory.

CAL Reservations Hotline to temporarily close at 3pm Wednesday

Due to the ongoing inclement weather caused by Hurricane Grace, the Cayman Airways Reservations hotline will close today at 3pm, and will reopen on Thursday from 7am to 7pm, weather permitting. Cayman Airways appreciates the public’s understanding, and apologises for any inconvenience caused.