PARAMARIBO - Passengers from the national carrier, Surinam Airways (SLM), who were sup-posed to catch a flight in Belem...
to reach Paramaribo via Cayenne last Wednesday were shocked to hear that their flight had been cancelled. “A change must be made in Suriname is that a law must be passed to compel airlines to pay a fine in such cases because passengers are abandoned and the airlines do as they please,” said RO who had left for Belem to go on a business trip with a group of friends. RO explained that he was about to go to the airport to catch a flight back home when he received the news that the SLM flight had been cancelled. He strongly disapproved of the lack of information from the SLM. He explained that in Europe passengers are given compensation in case their flight is cancelled or when they have to wait for several hours for their flight.
. “Passengers receive € 600. The SLM gives compensation to passengers in Europe but gives a very small compensation to passengers on the regional route. They only give a voucher but that will not suffice. The rights of passengers are clearly not protected by law in Suriname. It must be clear to passengers what they are entitled to if a flight is cancelled. The airline must of course also be protected because one must look at both sides,” RO told Times of Suriname from Belem. RO made it clear that the cancellation of the flight has left him with huge expenses.