Caribbean’s new London flights continue to suffer setbacks

New long-haul service by Caribbean Airlines to London Gatwick has been plagued by disruption even before the initial launch, reflecting an overestimation by the carrier of easily adding widebodies to its fleet of Boeing 737s and turboprops, and gaining the necessary approvals to debut the flights in a timely manner. The carrier is also facing commercial challenges, having announced the routes only a few months before they were to launch, limiting sales time.

Caribbean detailed plans earlier this year to re-enter the UK market as Virgin Atlantic's flights from Kingston, Jamaica to Gatwick were due to end in Apr-2012. The airline's predecessor BWIA sold its London Heathrow slots to British Airways in 2007.