Bermuda airline BermudAir has come under fire after a series of cancelled flights over the Christmas period.

A flight to the island from Toronto had to turn back on December 22 after suffering mechanical failure.

There were further disrupts after a flight out of Boston had to be grounded because of damage from a bird strike. As a result, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day flights from Bermuda to New York also had to be cancelled.

One passenger who had planned to take the Boxing Day flight to New York said that, while mechanical failures were perhaps unavoidable, BermudAir’s customer service in finding passengers alternative flights was “sadly lacking”.

In an e-mail to the airline and copied to The Royal Gazette, the passenger listed a myriad of complaints.

They claimed that when they dialled a helpline phone number, it repeatedly cut out before they were connected “as if the number just doesn’t exist”.

They also said that only one staff member was on duty at L.F. Wade International Airport to deal with queries from scores of passengers trying to get to their destination.

The complainant also questioned why BermudAir was not willing to pay compensation after her husband paid out almost $400 for a ticket to New York on another airline.

She said: “We can’t call and can’t wait in line at the airport endlessly to make alternative travel arrangements for another day” because we had to travel today — tomorrow doesn’t work for us.

“Please, at your earliest convenience, would you reimburse to his American Express Card, the $249 fare paid for the cancelled BermudAir flight, together with compensation of $148.20 for our additional costs as a result of your cancelled flight. I am sure you have insurance for this sort of disruption.

“We are frequent travellers between Bermuda and New York and desperately want BermudAir to succeed for all our sakes.

“We are sorry to report that something has gone wrong about 50 per cent of the time. When it works, it is great, but it just isn’t reliable enough to compel us to keep booking on BermudAir.”

The customer also questioned why the company’s website made no reference to cancelled flight, adding: “Own your service and let the travelling public know the real flight status.

She said: “This sort of thing is quite sickening and does nothing to inspire loyalty from your erstwhile customers. Customer service failures on so many levels.“

A spokesman for the company confirmed that there had been a number of disruptions because of mechanical faults, but that the safety of passengers was paramount.

The spokesman said: “We acknowledge that the rescheduling at short notice caused disruption to the travel plans of the impacted customers. Guests on affected flights were notified at the earliest opportunity and offered assistance, including rebooking options, in line with our published Conditions of Carriage.

“While compensation for accommodation was not applicable in this case due to the nature of the delay being outside of the airline’s control, we deeply regret any inconvenience caused and are committed to supporting our customers as best we can.”

The spokesman added that passengers on the New York flight were notified by e-mail and text message about the cancellation.

They added: “Thankfully we were able to offer travel planning support to a number of impacted customers who were travelling on the day to attend important medical appointments.

“Staffing levels at our offices are continuously adjusted to meet demand, including during public holidays.

“While our team worked diligently to address customer needs, we constantly welcome feedback regarding response times to identify opportunities for improvement.

“In terms of reliability, BermudAir has been working hard to minimise cancellations and delays.

“Whilst, like for all airlines, a degree of disruption is sadly inevitable, some of which is outside our control, we constantly review our operating procedures, along with those of our airport partners, seeking improvements to help us maintain the best possible levels of availability and on-time performance.

“In 2025, this effort will extend to the addition of further aircraft to our fleet, one of which will serve as a standby aircraft to be deployed when circumstances such as the bird strike occur.

“We appreciate the ongoing support of our loyal and enthusiastic customers and remain fully committed to providing an exceptional travel experience for our customers.”

In April the airline issues a “profuse apology” to its customers for failing to respond to service concerns on time following flight disruptions.