EDITORIAL - Breathing easier over Air Jamaica

NOW THAT the Trinidadians have again confirmed that they will finalise their acquisition of Air Jamaica, we hope that this is the end of the confusion over the issue so that the airline can concentrate on becoming the hoped-for business and strategic economic success.

The airline has long been the latter for Jamaica, ensuring transport into and out of the country, thus being an important component of the island's tourist industry. Its value was especially obvious during periods of crisis.

But as a discrete business, Air Jamaica has been a financial laggard for the 40 years of its life.

For instance, in the decade until its divestment last year to Trinidad and Tobago's Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL), Air Jamaica lost more than US$1 billion - although most of those years fell in the decade when it was under private contrrol. As part of the divestment to CAL, the Jamaican Government embraced those losses and other debts held by Air Jamaica.

Keen interest in Air Jamaica

Although the airline is no longer owned by Jamaica, Jamaicans maintain a keen interest in its fortunes - emotionally and because they still consider it to be important to the national economy. Unfortunately, in several months since its takeover by CAL, there has been a sense of uncertainty about Air Jamaica's future.

First, the new administration of Kamla Persad-Bissessar in Port-of-Spain suggested that it might scuttle the agreement entered by the former government of Mr Patrick Manning. Later, Mr Jack Warner, the minister with responsibility for aviation, with beaming pride in his benevolence, announced in Kingston to admiring football colleagues that he had recommended to the Trinidadian Cabinet that the deal should be finalised.

Clarification

But amid a recent feud between Mr Warner and the CAL directors for influence and authority, there were suggestions out of Port-of-Spain that the Air Jamaica deal was likely to be one of the casualties. Rightly, the Jamaican opposition leader, Portia Simpson Miller, asked for clarification.

That is what the CAL directors, obviously with the imprimatur of the Government, have now done. They have committed to operate current Air Jamaica routes and possibly expand them, with a return to Britain. CAL also promised to change Air Jamaica's fleet from Airbus aircraft to Boeing 737-800s by year end.

Additionally, it plans to relaunch at mid-month the Air Jamaica brand.

Hopefully, what was done in preparation for CAL's takeover - including slashing hundreds of jobs and chopping routes - plus the initiatives announced this week have enhanced the viability of Air Jamaica. For, like any business, it can't be expected to survive on sentiment. Moreover, the emotion that sustained Air Jamaica for 40 years is unlikely to be found in Port-of-Spain.

There is something else. We believe that the Jamaican Government owes it to its constituents to table in Parliament the full divestment agreement.

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