Eastern Caribbean Turns to AA after Air Jamaica Pull-Out

Fearing that Air Jamaica´s temporary withdrawal of service will reduce a projected 11 percent growth in stopover visitor arrivals to St Lucia this year, government and tourism officials in that Eastern Caribbean island will approach other carriers to fly American tourists there.

In a news release, Air Jamaica said that flights between Jamaica and Barbados, Jamaica and Grenada and Jamaica and St Lucia were being suspended with immediate effect until April 16.

The action, the airline said, was taken to meet a new accelerated maintenance schedule required by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).

The JCAA had reduced the airline´s maintenance checks cycle from 18 months to 15 months, in keeping with a requirement from America´s Federal Aviation Authority.

But the news took the Caribbean tourism industry by surprise, and some persons predicted that it would contribute to a cut in revenue, given that the suspension preceded the normally busy Easter holiday.

The decision´s full impact on St Lucia will be felt next week, according to Allan Chastanet, a former Air Jamaica executive who now operates a hotel in St Lucia.

Flights were already full going into the holiday," he said. "The hotel sector is very disappointed, especially because of the level of support we gave to Air Jamaica.

Air Jamaica operated 14 flights weekly into St Lucia. Based on the airlift the carrier provided, along with American Airlines, Delta, USAir, Air Canada, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and BWIA, St Lucia was hoping for a 3 1/2 per cent growth on last year´s 7 1/2 per cent increase in stopover arrivals.