The Government yesterday obtained a Supreme Court order, barring the island's air traffic controllers from shutting down the two local international airports.
The air traffic controllers, who have been on a sick-out for more than 48 hours, have also been ordered to return to work immediately.
Reacting to the news last night, Howard Greaves, president of the Air Traffic Controllers' Association (ATCA), told The Gleaner that the association will challenge the injunction in court as he claimed the air traffic controllers were not taking industrial action.
"So there was no need to defy an injunction," he said. He added that more air traffic controllers were expected to turn up for work today.
ex parte injunction
Yesterday, Deputy Solicitor General Patrick Foster applied in chambers before Mr. Justice Basil Reid for an ex parte injunction.
This was to prevent air traffic controllers from making good on their threats to abandon their posts at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, and Sangster International in Montego Bay by 6:00 p.m. yesterday.
The judge, after hearing legal arguments from Mr. Foster, granted a 30-day injunction.
It was disclosed in the affidavit presented in chambers, that the air traffic controllers were disappointed because the Government plans to deduct money from their salaries for the period they called in sick earlier this year.
flights cancelled
Two American Airlines flights were cancelled yesterday, resulting from a sick-out by air traffic controllers.
When The Gleaner called the American Airlines toll free number yesterday, a customer service representative there disclosed that flight #899 from Miami to Montego Bay was cancelled.
Additionally, this morning's American Airline flight #858 from Montego Bay to Miami was also cancelled.
Contacted last night, Sandrea Falconer, communications director at Air Jamaica, said the sick-out did not generally affect the airline's flight scheduling.
She said, however, there was a bit of uncertainty regarding Air Jamaica's flight from Norman Manley International Airport to London last night; so too the flight from Montego Bay to Chicago.
