'Two brands, one Caribbean': Air Jamaica retains country brand, MoBay hub

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU: AIR JAMAICA will continue to operate as one of two brands under the Caribbean Airlines (CAL) umbrella, allaying fear that the country's iconic brand had been abandoned.

Under this new dispensation, Air Jamaica will return to its London, Heathrow, route as of July 2011, operating three times per week, says CAL chairman, George Nicholas III.

Nicholas was addressing a large gathering at the 'Rebirth of Air Jamaica' function at The Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston last Friday night.

Even more important, the CAL Board chairman says the two carriers will have different focuses, with Air Jamaica targeting the leisure and travel market, and CAL concentrating on a core business aimed at the diaspora and the business community.

Air Jamaica, which has literally deserted Montego Bay, the tourism capital, will also once again reintroduce its presence there. "MoBay is a natural hub for the airline," said Nicholas.

Nicholas' revelations come days after he said on radio that Air Jamaica was now debt-free, only months after its acquisition. "The strategy is to make the airline profitable in the next quarter," he said.

Air J, CAL routes

Air Jamaica will be dedicated to flying routes into and out of Montego Bay and Kingston, to New York (JFK), Philadelphia, Toronto, Ft Lauderdale, and Miami in North America, and Nassau, The Bahamas. Caribbean Airlines with its hub in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, will continue to fly to New York (JFK), Philadelphia, Toronto, Ft Lauderdale, and Miami in North America; St Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, and Kingston; Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela in South America.

The CAL chairman admitted that the new direction came about as Air Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines began the transition towards one Caribbean airline. "It became clear that even as the outward signs of Air Jamaica were phased out in the marketplace, loyal passengers remained confident in the signature travel experience it delivered," he said Friday night.

Caribbean Airlines, he said, believes in the brand value of Air Jamaica. "And we are very excited about revitalising and reintroducing this historic brand. We are committed to the work ahead to ensure a performance-driven future and to restarting the conversation with our customers to let them know that Air Jamaica is back."

Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Transport, Jack Warner, who also opposed the divestment while his party was out of power, said he has since eaten his words many times. "This partnership marks the dawn of a new era. It's a win-win situation for all of us," he said.

Warner noted that the thrust is for "two brands, one Caribbean", placing both countries in a more powerful position.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com