After 14 months of
working assiduously to meet rigorous regulatory aviation requirements,
Fly Jamaica Airways will officially take to the skies on Friday, January
25, with its inaugural flight scheduled to depart for the John F.
Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Fly Jamaica Airways
received its air operating certificate in September 2012 from the
Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA). The certificate is its license
to operate as an airline. In late December 2011, the airline received
clearance from authorities in the United States, which determined that
the airline has the capital to operate and just two weeks ago, Fly
Jamaica finalized its operating schedules out of JFK.
Chief
Operating Officer Captain Lloyd Tai said the response to the new airline
has been overwhelming. "We have completed all the technical and
commercial requirements. We are new and had to get accustomed to
interfacing with the American system. The United States had to ensure
that we were 100 per cent compliant," Tai said.
Tai said the
airline will offer convenient and reliable service aimed at meeting the
needs of its clients, especially those in the Jamaican diaspora. Fly
Jamaica Airways will operate four flights weekly from Kingston and
services will include two checked bags, free meals on all flights and
service in all cabins.
Plans for Toronto, Guyana flights
"Initially,
we will fly to New York; however, plans are in the pipeline to also fly
to Toronto and also Guyana. Full service will also be offered,
especially on our long flights when passengers will get a full meal. We
are also competitive in terms of our prices," Tai said.
Tai
revealed plans to to acquire an additional aircraft by year-end to bring
its fleet to two. The company, which already owns a Boeing 757
aircraft, came under heavy scrutiny and was thoroughly inspected by the
JCAA to ensure that the required support systems and services were in
place. Fly Jamaica currently employs more than 60 Jamaicans and will
look to expand its crew complement with the additional aircraft.
Fly
Jamaica Airways has created history as it is the first airline in
Jamaica that has gone through the detailed regulations from scratch.
Normally, an airline would take three to five years to meet these
requirements. However, the airline has accomplished this feat in a
relatively short time.
Speaking at the launch at the Devonshire
in St Andrew on Wednesday, Transport Minister Dr Omar Davies expressed
pleasure with the success of the initiative amid the gloom and doom of
the world economy. "This is an example of how Jamaicans can work
together. This venture will reduce the challenge of travelling between
Jamaica and Guyana," Davies said.
For more information visit www.fly-jamaica.com or call 1-855-4 flyjam (359526).
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com
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