JCAA: No plans to thwart REDjet

The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) said Monday there is nothing unusual in the processing of the application for permission to fly into the country by low-cost carrier REDjet.

Over the weekend, the Barbados-based air carrier announced postponement of service to Jamaica due to regulatory delays.

REDjet had originally advertised flights to Jamaica as of May 8.

"The only thing that could perhaps affect an airline flying to Jamaica is the various agreements that we have in place, so we have to make sure that the agreements are not conflicting and once that is so, the approval will be given as required or as appropriate," said JCAA director general, Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby.

REDjet has sent notice of the cancellation to passengers via email, and said they will be repaid in full.

The airline has also scrapped plans to fly to Trinidad, and will suspend its service between Barbados and Jamaica for another two months.

JCAA said last week's signing of the final deal for the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) to take control of Air Jamaica contributed to the delay in the processing of REDjet's application.

As a precautionary measure, the JCAA board decided to hold off on the application to determine if there was any conflict with the Caribbean Airlines-Air Jamaica merger, he said.

"It was a precautionary measure to ensure that that agreement, which was signed, (would) not contain anything conflicting, so that we can move ahead with REDjet," Derby said.

- CMC