American Airlines apologised to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on Monday for an incident that occurred last week at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana.

Gonsalves and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Keith Rowley were asked to present themselves to the American Airlines check-in counter for a visual identification instead of being allowed to complete the check in process from the VIP lounge, despite an advance request from the Government of Guyana.

In a letter to Gonsalves dated February 20, 2023, Robert A Wirick, Managing Director of International Government Affairs at American Airlines said: “On behalf of American Airlines, please accept my sincerest apology for not proactively approving the request for expedited treatment and the inconvenience caused during your departure from Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). We sincerely regret that we fell short of your expectations while traveling from Guyana to Miami to connect on a flight to The Bahamas for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit.

“American greatly treasures the relationship with you and the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We will strive to ensure that all of your future travels on our airline are pleasant and exceed your expectations. American prides itself on delivering a high level of respect and service that our customers deserve. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns….”

On Sunday, during a call to We FM, Gonsalves said he did not feel disrespected by what had transpired.

Rowley received a similar letter from AA on Monday, Trinidad media has reported.