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Air J resuming flights to some Eastern Carib routes
published: Saturday | April 9, 2005
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC:
Air Jamaica yesterday announced that it would be resuming flights to the Eastern Caribbean on April 16 with six weekly flights to Grenada and Barbados from Kingston and New York.
However, the airline said it would continue the suspension of flights into St. Lucia that came into effect on March 18 due to the accelerated maintenance schedule required by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).
The authority had insisted that the airline immediately reduce its maintenance cycle from 18 to 15 months and as a result, the number of aircraft available was significantly reduced resulting in the suspension of the flights on the Eastern Caribbean routes.
The airline said that flight JM094 would operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from New York to Grenada, Barbados and Kingston, while flight JM095 would operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Kingston to Barbados, Grenada and New York.
Flight JM095/094 will be the only non-stop services between Kingston and Barbados.
Connections from Grenada and Barbados can be made to New York and Los Angeles through Jamaica on Mondays, Tahursdays and Saturdays.
The airline's statement noted that initially, an Airbus A320 with 138 economy and 12 top-class seats would operate the flight, but the capacity would be increased shortly with the use of an A321 aircraft, which has an additional 38 seats.
Executive Chairman, Dr. Vincent Lawrence, said with the availability of aircraft still restricted and after carefully reviewing the route structure, competition and economics, the suspension of flights to St. Lucia will continue at this time.
"In recent months, St. Lucia has benefited from increased non-stop service by other airlines and we believe that the continued suspension should not seriously affect traffic to St. Lucia," Dr. Lawrence said.
OFFICIALS ADVISED
The announcement said that all the relevant government and tourism officials had been advised of the new decision.
Last month, former Air Jamaica top executive, St. Lucian Allen Chastanet, said he was "disgusted" over the airline's decision to suspend the flights.
Chastanet, the airline's former vice-president of marketing and sales, said while he recognised the challenges facing the carrier, to make this announcement on the eve of Easter and not give any advanced notice "shows an insensitivity to the economies of this region and how important airlift is".
Air Jamaica said it was negotiating with other carriers to provide passengers with connections from Barbados and Grenada to the rest of the Caribbean.
Air J resuming flights to some Eastern Carib routes
published: Saturday | April 9, 2005
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC:
Air Jamaica yesterday announced that it would be resuming flights to the Eastern Caribbean on April 16 with six weekly flights to Grenada and Barbados from Kingston and New York.
However, the airline said it would continue the suspension of flights into St. Lucia that came into effect on March 18 due to the accelerated maintenance schedule required by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).
The authority had insisted that the airline immediately reduce its maintenance cycle from 18 to 15 months and as a result, the number of aircraft available was significantly reduced resulting in the suspension of the flights on the Eastern Caribbean routes.
The airline said that flight JM094 would operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from New York to Grenada, Barbados and Kingston, while flight JM095 would operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Kingston to Barbados, Grenada and New York.
Flight JM095/094 will be the only non-stop services between Kingston and Barbados.
Connections from Grenada and Barbados can be made to New York and Los Angeles through Jamaica on Mondays, Tahursdays and Saturdays.
The airline's statement noted that initially, an Airbus A320 with 138 economy and 12 top-class seats would operate the flight, but the capacity would be increased shortly with the use of an A321 aircraft, which has an additional 38 seats.
Executive Chairman, Dr. Vincent Lawrence, said with the availability of aircraft still restricted and after carefully reviewing the route structure, competition and economics, the suspension of flights to St. Lucia will continue at this time.
"In recent months, St. Lucia has benefited from increased non-stop service by other airlines and we believe that the continued suspension should not seriously affect traffic to St. Lucia," Dr. Lawrence said.
OFFICIALS ADVISED
The announcement said that all the relevant government and tourism officials had been advised of the new decision.
Last month, former Air Jamaica top executive, St. Lucian Allen Chastanet, said he was "disgusted" over the airline's decision to suspend the flights.
Chastanet, the airline's former vice-president of marketing and sales, said while he recognised the challenges facing the carrier, to make this announcement on the eve of Easter and not give any advanced notice "shows an insensitivity to the economies of this region and how important airlift is".
Air Jamaica said it was negotiating with other carriers to provide passengers with connections from Barbados and Grenada to the rest of the Caribbean.
Air J resuming flights to some Eastern Carib routes