Caribbean Airlines gets approval to schedule flights between Jamaica and US

Air Jamaica Ltd Chairman Dennis Lalor says the United States Department of Transport has approved an application for Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) to operate scheduled flights between Jamaica and that country.

The approval was received last Thursday.

"This is the final North American approval required under the agreement signed between Caribbean Airlines, Air Jamaica, and the Government of Jamaica, the Canadian authority having been received before," Lalor said in a release yesterday.

"This now clears the way for the closing of the divestment transaction to occur within five business days of the final authority being received, which means by Thursday, February 17, 2011, as required by the signed agreement."

The closing of the transaction will facilitate the transfer of the agreed 16 per cent shareholding in CAL being transferred to the Government of Jamaica.

"We are pleased to have satisfied all our obligations under the agreement and look forward to the closing of the transaction within the next few days. We are also satisfied with Caribbean Airlines' commitment to Air Jamaica's success and look forward to the future together."