People planning to leave the island via the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday were left disgruntled as all flights arriving and departing the airport were cancelled.

The announcement was made via the airport's intercom.

Passengers were especially angry because several of them made numerous calls to the toll-free line at the airport before arriving. Some passengers said they called as late as 9 a.m. and were not informed of the cancellations.

Some had journeyed from as far away as Ocho Rios, St Ann, and Mandeville, Manchester, to the airport and were upset that they were not told of the cancellations earlier.

"They need to make a report. I have been calling here all morning to ask and they were telling me nothing," said Joan Bell who had a 7:30 a.m. flight to New York. "They took my number and they did not call to say the flight was delayed. Where is the communication?"

No information

In addition, they said when they arrived at the airport, no one provided them with any information about what they should do next.

Marcia Henry, who had an 11:55 a.m. flight to Canada, said: "There is nobody to tell us anything. They are telling us to leave the airport because it's gonna close. I am here with nine kids and my husband and I don't know what I am going to do."

Henry also complained that the security personnel were rude when she tried to make enquiries.

The passengers also complained that the airlines had not provided any transportation and accommodation for the stranded passengers. The passengers have been told to leave the airport and contact the toll-free line for information.

The Gleaner was unable to get an immediate reaction to passengers' complaints from authorities at the airport.