Governor General reportedly refuses airport security checks;
AA passengers inconvenienced
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
 |
| Governor General, His Excellency, Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - More than 80 American Airlines passengers were temporarily inconvenienced this afternoon [May 16] when St. Kitts and Nevis’ Head of State reportedly refused to pass through airport security before boarding a Miami bound flight.
Being informed of the incident sometime after 3:15 p.m., SKNVibes rushed to the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and learnt that the Governor General, Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, scheduled to board AA flight number 2280 en route to Shanghai, arrived there after 12:00 noon and was the centre of a controversy.
This media house understands that upon arrival at the airport the GG’s aide-de-camp, Major Joseph Jones, checked him in, and when the call was made for them to board the flight, permission to forego security checks and board the aircraft were denied.
According to further information reaching this media house, the request was denied and the GG was told that security checks must be conducted. Other reports are that an offer was made for a private security check to be made but that too was refused.
It is then, reports suggest, that the GG was driven in his vehicle to the aircraft and he boarded it.
SKNVibes learnt that instructions were given for all passengers to disembark the aircraft, which were executed and the aircraft was subsequently searched. ~~Adz:Right~~
The flight, which was scheduled to leave the RLB International Airport at 2:50 p.m., was grounded for more than one hour. Resultantly, persons who were to have taken specific connecting flights bound for Washington, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Boston were forced to seek alternative arrangements.
The GG reportedly accepted the security check and at about 4:06 p.m. the flight left the R.L.B International Airport bound for Miami.
All attempts to contact the Manager of the American Airlines in St. Kitts, Hugh Mallelieu, were futile.
