Fly Jamaica likely to commence service next month

Aug 29, 2013 News

– Inspections for operations completed

By Zena Henry
The services of much anticipated partnership carrier Fly Jamaica Airways (FJ) will soon be available to Guyanese as optimism over the airline’s commencement of regular flights to and from Canada and the United States of America by late next month heightens. Moves towards this reality are even more evident as overseas safety officials completed inspections of the airline’s local base on Tuesday.
A four-member team, headed by Captain Egbert Field of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority departed Guyana early yesterday morning after completing in-depth inspections on general facilities that FJ would be using while servicing Guyana.
In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday evening, Field related that from the surface, FJ seems ready to add Guyana to its flight paths. He said, so far, nothing has come up that would prohibit FJ servicing Guyana, but after a perusal of notes and data, a formal announcement would be made.
Field explained that the team was tasked with making sure that all procedures dealing with FJ’s operations locally are being followed. That he said includes safety operations, documentation and facilities. Field noted that the inspection is part of the preparations for FJ’s arrival. He detailed that inspections were on the training of staff, bag handlers, desk clerks, as well as on safety regulations and operating procedures. He said local facilities must be up to standard, since there are regulations that have to be followed. The inspection team, Field continued, had to ensure that the airline’s documents were also in order, and that it had the necessary requirements to be operating in Guyana.
Following this inspection, Field informed that the team will travel to Toronto, Canada, where they will perform similar inspections like those done in Guyana; again for the purposes of safety and adherence to regulations.
As it relates to FJ acquiring permission for direct flights out of Guyana to New York, Field said that the airline is still awaiting permission, as the objections raised by Airlines 4 America (A4A), are still being considered.
A4A is one of America’s oldest and largest airline trade associations.
A4A or Air Transport Association of America (ATA) is made up of several American air carriers. On July 31, this year, they urged the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to oppose applications from Fly Jamaica Airways and Caribbean Airlines to fly directly from Guyana to New York, citing “serious and troubling issues” that would be raised for consumers, A4A members and their employees.
This however, does not mean the end for FJ flights out of Guyana to New York. Field opined that FJ management has the option of flying Guyana to Kingston, Jamaica to the United States- since flights out of Jamaica are already in operation. Management, he stated further would however have to do the math and ascertain the feasibility of that route. In the meantime, FJ is cleared for Canada, and it is assumed that that will be FJ’s first destination out of Guyana.
Head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed indicated yesterday that locally, FJ has been given the go ahead.
There has however been much talk about the need for competition on the Guyana/ New York route. As it stands, Trinidadian carrier CAL dominates and holds the monopoly for the very lucrative GT/NY route. Their service and heavy pricing structure has been met, however, with much apprehension by local travelers, with some describing CAL’s service to Guyana as a “stepchild/stepmother” scenario.
FJ has however promised to bring quality service and workable pricing to Guyana. The airline is a partnership between Guyanese Captain Ronald Reece and three Jamaican shareholders, two of whom are Captain Lloyd Tai, and Manager of In-flight Services, Christine Steele. The management said that they are committed to working earnestly for the benefit of the two countries.

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