A F50 from BGI to CUR indeed is long and I also wouldn't want to be on that especially since it's an old aircraft. Why don't they charter LI or BW to go to CUR?


A388

A388 wrote:

A F50 from BGI to CUR indeed is long and I also wouldn't want to be on that especially since it's an old aircraft. Why don't they charter LI or BW to go to CUR?


A388

Isn't this plane used on the CUR SXM route, which is as far if not further?

A388 wrote:

Thanks for all the information guys. Will Fly Jamaica or Caribbean Airlines carry the Jamaican athletes to Curacao? If so, what are the dates and times? Is Guadeloupe/Martinique also participating or is it only the English speaking Islands? I wonder which other countries are participating. I can't find information on which countries will be participating.

A388

PTP and FDF always participate.

Fly Jamaica is looking at B738s to serve FLL.

Fly Jamaica Airways said that the number of passengers choosing the airline increased by nearly a half over the past year allowing the airline to hold its own, according to Chairman and CEO Paul Ronald Reece.
The airline owner and pilot rationalised that customer loyalty would have been the main reason for the spike in business, as the company continues to operate the same number of routes.
"We got growth from existing routes based on increased customers' confidence and increased loyalty in the brand," said Reece. "So we are pushing on. The more people that fly with us, they like the service and want to come back," he told the Financial Gleaner.
Fly Jamaica currently employs 362 persons and recently attracted some Jamaican pilots back home from working in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2016, passengers flying the airline totalled some 135,830, up from roughly 93,325 a year earlier or 45 per cent higher year-on-year, according to Reece, who cited the figures from internally generated graphs during an interview at his Renfrew Road offices in New Kingston.

Asked whether the airline was making money or breaking even, Reece responded: "We are holding our own."
Fly Jamaica continues to examine the feasibility of adding Fort Lauderdale as a route, but it would require a substantial investment in two smaller aircraft to boost the fleet.
"In order to do Kingston to Fort Lauderdale, we would have to do a daily service, which would require two 737-800s in order to go back and forth," he said, explaining that two are needed for redundancy.
He did not give a timeline for the acquisition, but noted that the airline was considering its options.
In January, Reece said at the JSE Capital Markets Conference that he was considering listing the airline on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to raise financing for "four additional aircraft".

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... nger-loads

-------------------------------------------------

New flights to/from Kingston, Jamaica (KIN); Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI); Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (PLS); and Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS) are planned for 2017-2018, pending government approval. In line with the expansion of its route network, Sunrise Airways has initiated service aboard a 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. Headquartered in Port-au-Prince, Sunrise Airways is a privately owned corporation with registered offices in Haiti.

http://www.aviationpros.com/press_relea ... to-orlando

*****************************************

WG charter inbound to KIN.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWG9716

******************************************

OJ recently operated a KIN-SDQ-KIN charter.







**********************************************

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have been selected among 12 countries to receive the Council President Certificate of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority said that Guyana and Jamaica had been named among the 12 countries for the “significant progress” they have made in resolving their safety oversight deficiencies and improving the effective implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Guy ... tion-award
********************************************

A388 wrote:

Thanks for all the information guys. Will Fly Jamaica or Caribbean Airlines carry the Jamaican athletes to Curacao? If so, what are the dates and times?

I am not sure about OJ, but they have used BW and Miami Air in the past. The Jamaican contingency will be around 85 persons. They are expected to depart later today.
*************************************

MBJ Shots.

hummingbird wrote:

Fly Jamaica is looking at B738s to serve FLL.

Fly Jamaica Airways said that the number of passengers choosing the airline increased by nearly a half over the past year allowing the airline to hold its own, according to Chairman and CEO Paul Ronald Reece.
The airline owner and pilot rationalised that customer loyalty would have been the main reason for the spike in business, as the company continues to operate the same number of routes.
"We got growth from existing routes based on increased customers' confidence and increased loyalty in the brand," said Reece. "So we are pushing on. The more people that fly with us, they like the service and want to come back," he told the Financial Gleaner.
Fly Jamaica currently employs 362 persons and recently attracted some Jamaican pilots back home from working in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2016, passengers flying the airline totalled some 135,830, up from roughly 93,325 a year earlier or 45 per cent higher year-on-year, according to Reece, who cited the figures from internally generated graphs during an interview at his Renfrew Road offices in New Kingston.

Asked whether the airline was making money or breaking even, Reece responded: "We are holding our own."
Fly Jamaica continues to examine the feasibility of adding Fort Lauderdale as a route, but it would require a substantial investment in two smaller aircraft to boost the fleet.
"In order to do Kingston to Fort Lauderdale, we would have to do a daily service, which would require two 737-800s in order to go back and forth," he said, explaining that two are needed for redundancy.
He did not give a timeline for the acquisition, but noted that the airline was considering its options.
In January, Reece said at the JSE Capital Markets Conference that he was considering listing the airline on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to raise financing for "four additional aircraft"
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... nger-loads

I'm sorry, but why does he think he'll need 2 B738s to do KIN-FLL? I don't understand his reasoning there.

hummingbird wrote:

MBJ Shots.



All air-to-sea, which has now ended as at April 11th. Won't see then till mid November. Exception to EW which will return July for regular revenue service.



The Canadians represent! Just a sample of their strength.

The Blue Angel of the Sky.... Love that beacon.

Rmjhjr wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

Fly Jamaica is looking at B738s to serve FLL.

Fly Jamaica Airways said that the number of passengers choosing the airline increased by nearly a half over the past year allowing the airline to hold its own, according to Chairman and CEO Paul Ronald Reece.
The airline owner and pilot rationalised that customer loyalty would have been the main reason for the spike in business, as the company continues to operate the same number of routes.
"We got growth from existing routes based on increased customers' confidence and increased loyalty in the brand," said Reece. "So we are pushing on. The more people that fly with us, they like the service and want to come back," he told the Financial Gleaner.
Fly Jamaica currently employs 362 persons and recently attracted some Jamaican pilots back home from working in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2016, passengers flying the airline totalled some 135,830, up from roughly 93,325 a year earlier or 45 per cent higher year-on-year, according to Reece, who cited the figures from internally generated graphs during an interview at his Renfrew Road offices in New Kingston.

Asked whether the airline was making money or breaking even, Reece responded: "We are holding our own."
Fly Jamaica continues to examine the feasibility of adding Fort Lauderdale as a route, but it would require a substantial investment in two smaller aircraft to boost the fleet.
"In order to do Kingston to Fort Lauderdale, we would have to do a daily service, which would require two 737-800s in order to go back and forth," he said, explaining that two are needed for redundancy.
He did not give a timeline for the acquisition, but noted that the airline was considering its options.
In January, Reece said at the JSE Capital Markets Conference that he was considering listing the airline on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to raise financing for "four additional aircraft"
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... nger-loads

I'm sorry, but why does he think he'll need 2 B738s to do KIN-FLL? I don't understand his reasoning there.

I think the plan is to switch the 763 to Air Guyana and have that do JFK GEO and HAV GEO charters. They had planned a 738 to do JFK KIN. That plane can handle FLL KIN as well as these are relatively short flights. The remaining 757 will be only used on the YYZ routes so I think that they can manage this with 3 planes.

Maybe he ought to float is IPO first before getting too excited about how many planes he can get. Caribbean capital markets are thin and fairly conservatives so one can wonder if there is appetite for an airline stock.

Great thanks hummingbird. So Caribbean Airlines will fly to Curacao today. I understand the flight number will be BW8000 and will arrive here tonight at 22:00. Can you let me know when the aircraft has departed and what the aircraft registration will be? I want to take pictures of it of the hummingbird is on the tail (no white tail).

A388

Rmjhjr wrote:

airjamaica wrote:

callmedrewy wrote:

LOL Actually, not MD-88's but MD-83's (acquired from DL).

Lol. Yes. You are quite correct. It was the MD-83's indeed. (I was having a "senior" moment it seems. ) They were deployed on various routes throughout their network... but I used to see them on the ORD, NAS & GCM routes mostly when I used to work at Manley.

callmedrewy wrote:

Don't forget the A340s, and the short-lived A319's.

I can't belive I forgot about the A340s & A319s... aka "Baby-bus". I'm really getting old! Lol.

callmedrewy wrote:

But I agree... All in all, JM's record of safety has been matchless.

Indeed. They have had their minor incidents etc. But over all an impressive record. I think their closest shave with disaster was with the instrument malfunction at Manley during a heavy downpour when the A310 operating JM 010 JFK-MBJ-KIN ended up over Liguanea while preparing to land in KIN. Can't remember what year it happened, but the crew handled the situation professionally to avert what could have been a tragedy.

callmedrewy wrote:

(And btw, was I the only person that thought the A321's in JM's 1994 Sunset livery was the sexiest?)

Hmmm... The A321s were OK for me... but I had a preference for the A320s. Flew on both of them more times than I can remember. The only ones in their "sunset" fleet I didn't get to fly on were the A340, A319, & the MD-83. I was booked on the MD-83 once on the KIN-MBJ leg, but it went tech & they sub an A320 that arrived from LAX/MBJ to operate the flight. I was not pleased. Lol. Wanted to experience the MD-83... but it just didn't happen unfortunately.

callmedrewy wrote:

Nostalgic moment here! the Airbus A300-600R's was a sight to behold.

Yep. They always stood out. Big & "in your face" so to speak. I can easily see why AA kept them in their fleet for so long. Those big birds were capable of transporting lots of cargo... which made them ideal for Caribbean routes (#kitchen sink passengers) & some Latin American routes such as LIM, PTY, BOG, SJO etc.

callmedrewy wrote:

Talking about Christmas... did anyone had any idea AA's 767-300ERs came to KIN seasonally to JFK?

Yes. They certainly did. Not sure if they ever operated on the KIN/MBJ - MIA runs... but I do recall them on the KIN-JFK runs at times... mostly during Christmas.

callmedrewy wrote:

Then there was the 757-200's that even did the late-night inbounds and early-morning outbounds to MIA.

I remember those too. Flew their B752's once on KIN-MIA and connecting on MIA-EWR. Old tattered birds. The ones I flew on obviousy were flying around for quite some time! Lol.

callmedrewy wrote:

With the new AA now in place, the possibilities are endless. Return of the A319's on the KIN market?

The A319 did a few KIN-MIA runs recently.

callmedrewy wrote:

Possibility of an A330 showing some love? Who knows.

That would be great. On the topic of AA... I still maintain that the classic original livery with blue/white/red cheatlines on the fuselage & eagle between the two A's on the tail was far more creative and eye catching than the current livery. Simple but appealing. But that's just my opinion.

All in all, I gotta say the Tri-jets always did it for me. They were just different and made you have to just stare in awe. Only the MD I didn't get to see from them but basically all the others.

I saw one of the trijets in JFK with AA' colours as a teen. the MD-11 had this majestic feel to it.
Kinda funny if the L-1011-500s were in its colours too.. but of course Douglas and American has a gentleman's agreement apparently, esp with the DC-10s.

guyanam wrote:

Rmjhjr wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

Fly Jamaica is looking at B738s to serve FLL.

I'm sorry, but why does he think he'll need 2 B738s to do KIN-FLL? I don't understand his reasoning there.

I think the plan is to switch the 763 to Air Guyana and have that do JFK GEO and HAV GEO charters. They had planned a 738 to do JFK KIN. That plane can handle FLL KIN as well as these are relatively short flights. The remaining 757 will be only used on the YYZ routes so I think that they can manage this with 3 planes.

Maybe he ought to float is IPO first before getting too excited about how many planes he can get. Caribbean capital markets are thin and fairly conservatives so one can wonder if there is appetite for an airline stock.

None of that addressed my question so let me rephrase it.
They've never done any new routes as a regular fixture outside of what they began with. Now he's making a statement that he'll need 2 B738s to do a route he has no idea how it will work. So, why does he think he needs 2 when he has no idea how 1 will work? Why not attempt 2 flights at most for the day - one morning and one later afternoon? Then take it from there.... Wouldn't that make more logic? Not because it's Kingston means the planes will be full much less that he'll have good returns.

That's how I see it...

callmedrewy wrote:

Rmjhjr wrote:

airjamaica wrote:

Lol. Yes. You are quite correct. It was the MD-83's indeed. (I was having a "senior" moment it seems. ) They were deployed on various routes throughout their network... but I used to see them on the ORD, NAS & GCM routes mostly when I used to work at Manley.



I can't belive I forgot about the A340s & A319s... aka "Baby-bus". I'm really getting old! Lol.



Indeed. They have had their minor incidents etc. But over all an impressive record. I think their closest shave with disaster was with the instrument malfunction at Manley during a heavy downpour when the A310 operating JM 010 JFK-MBJ-KIN ended up over Liguanea while preparing to land in KIN. Can't remember what year it happened, but the crew handled the situation professionally to avert what could have been a tragedy.



Hmmm... The A321s were OK for me... but I had a preference for the A320s. Flew on both of them more times than I can remember. The only ones in their "sunset" fleet I didn't get to fly on were the A340, A319, & the MD-83. I was booked on the MD-83 once on the KIN-MBJ leg, but it went tech & they sub an A320 that arrived from LAX/MBJ to operate the flight. I was not pleased. Lol. Wanted to experience the MD-83... but it just didn't happen unfortunately.



Yep. They always stood out. Big & "in your face" so to speak. I can easily see why AA kept them in their fleet for so long. Those big birds were capable of transporting lots of cargo... which made them ideal for Caribbean routes (#kitchen sink passengers) & some Latin American routes such as LIM, PTY, BOG, SJO etc.



Yes. They certainly did. Not sure if they ever operated on the KIN/MBJ - MIA runs... but I do recall them on the KIN-JFK runs at times... mostly during Christmas.



I remember those too. Flew their B752's once on KIN-MIA and connecting on MIA-EWR. Old tattered birds. The ones I flew on obviousy were flying around for quite some time! Lol.



The A319 did a few KIN-MIA runs recently.



That would be great. On the topic of AA... I still maintain that the classic original livery with blue/white/red cheatlines on the fuselage & eagle between the two A's on the tail was far more creative and eye catching than the current livery. Simple but appealing. But that's just my opinion.

All in all, I gotta say the Tri-jets always did it for me. They were just different and made you have to just stare in awe. Only the MD I didn't get to see from them but basically all the others.

I saw one of the trijets in JFK with AA' colours as a teen. the MD-11 had this majestic feel to it.
Kinda funny if the L-1011-500s were in its colours too.. but of course Douglas and American has a gentleman's agreement apparently, esp with the DC-10s.

Yeah, I believe they were the launch customer for the DC10-10, if not the entire program.

Rmjhjr wrote:

None of that addressed my question so let me rephrase it.
They've never done any new routes as a regular fixture outside of what they began with. Now he's making a statement that he'll need 2 B738s to do a route he has no idea how it will work. So, why does he think he needs 2 when he has no idea how 1 will work? Why not attempt 2 flights at most for the day - one morning and one later afternoon? Then take it from there.... Wouldn't that make more logic? Not because it's Kingston means the planes will be full much less that he'll have good returns.

That's how I see it...

I am actually agreeing with you. Even with the planned route expansion (Air Guyana and KIN FLL) he can get by on 3 planes as not all 3 will be heavily used. I think that he thinks he needs an extra plane coming from the "one plane" days when a break down meant a schedule melt down and hordes of angry customers. But he really doesn't.

No one knows how he acquired his 2 planes but it doesn't appear as if he can fund the 737 purchases in house so he thinks that an IPO can do this. The IPO will force lots of public financial disclosures that he mightn't want which is why I think that a private placement might be more appropriate,,,,,,,,,except that I don't know if there is a market for that within the Caribbean. But he really seems to underestimate the fact that planes cost money, so having high utilization is key.

I also agree that the FLL KIN isn't as unlimited as he thinks that it is. If there was a shortage of capacity on the route either B6 would step up to a 3rd flight, NK would be consistently daily, or WN would have entered the FLL KIN market. Even if he pushes out BW I don't know that he needs all that plane, unless BW completely closes down its KIN base.

Rmjhjr wrote:

callmedrewy wrote:

Rmjhjr wrote:

All in all, I gotta say the Tri-jets always did it for me. They were just different and made you have to just stare in awe. Only the MD I didn't get to see from them but basically all the others.

I saw one of the trijets in JFK with AA' colours as a teen. the MD-11 had this majestic feel to it.
Kinda funny if the L-1011-500s were in its colours too.. but of course Douglas and American has a gentleman's agreement apparently, esp with the DC-10s.

Yeah, I believe they were the launch customer for the DC10-10, if not the entire program.

You are correct indeed. Along with UA.

Work is slated to begin this year on the expansion of the runway at the Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, St Mary.
Minister of Transport and Mining Mike Henry said the project will enable the airport to accommodate larger aircraft.
“The basic point of Ian Fleming becoming an international airport (is) to accept the American Eagle, (which) means that you could be flying out of an airport that could take you to Miami, (the) East Coast, West Coast and Central and South America,” he noted.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business ... port_95654
***************************************

Also, for the BVI citizen the ability to visit friends and family in the Turks & Caicos Islands has become so much easier.”
As part of regional expansion plans, interCaribbean Airways last year introduced a non-stop weekly service from Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Before that the carrier began offering flights originating from Kingston to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as part of its move to cross-link the Caribbean.
According to the company, the flight routes increases the air link offered by the carrier in each direction with “faster flight and improved connections”.
The interCaribbean airline currently connects passengers to Providenciales, Grand Turk and South Caicos in Turks & Caicos. It also provides connections to Nassau, Bahamas; Puerto Plata, Santiago and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cap Haitien and Port-au-Prince in Haiti; and Kingston and Montego Bay Jamaica.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business ... -BVI_95546
**********************************

ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Jamaica and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) have been collaborating on an impact study of cruise operations in Jamaica, says Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.
The minister, who was speaking to journalists at a press conference at the Half Moon Hotel, recently, said the study is central to having an understanding as to what Jamaica actually earns from the cruise sector.
“The study will indicate a break out of the consumption pattern. It will show what is spent at the port by passengers and crew members and it will also indicate what is being spent at the attractions, on shopping, entertainment and on ground transportation,” the minister noted.
Bartlett said that in the end, there will be a kind of “pie chart” which will “give us a break out of the contributions in all those areas.”

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Imp ... --Bartlett

********************************

Atlanta, Georgia-based Vacation Express is returning in spring 2017 with exclusive, non-stop flights to Jamaica from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), the tour operator said.
The flights will depart weekly on Sundays for 6-nights beginning May 28 through August 6, 2017, as well as for one 5-night getaway departing May 22.
Flights to Jamaica will be operated by Swift Air, LLC. on a Boeing 737 aircraft. Complimentary non-alcoholic beverage and snack will be provided, and each traveler will be permitted one free carry-on bag and the option to purchase add-ons or to bundle options. The 5-night flight to Jamaica will be operated by Sunwing Airlines.
Vacation Express, part of Sunwing Travel Group, is a tour operator specializing in quality, affordable vacation packages to over 30 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Exclusive charter flights are operated by Sunwing Airlines and Swift Air, LLC.

http://www.financial-news.co.uk/40728/2 ... om-cvg-to/

**********************************

The range of destinations itself is equally impressive, whether you're hoping to discover some of the Caribbean's iconic pristine beaches in Jamaica or Barbados, or looking to tick US cities such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles off of your travel bucket list.
Flights on offer depart from London Heathrow and Gatwick as well as Manchester and Glasgow, so there's plenty of flexibility on where you travel from in the UK.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/trave ... r-10219324
****************************

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- interCaribbean is pleased to launch an interline agreement between interCaribbean and Cubana de Aviacion S.A. or "Cubana" the national airline of Cuba.  Travelers in the region can now plan their business or leisure travel needs over the flights of both airlines. 
interCaribbean Airways, the leading airline of the Western Caribbean, offers more flights in the region than any other airline, making travel between Caribbean islands more convenient for travellers wanting to see more than one island.  The company currently serves 17 cities in 9 countries in the Caribbean with several new cities planned to launch before the end of the year.   

Cubana de Aviacion, headquartered in Havana, Cuba is one of the oldest airlines in the world with continuous operations since 1929.  The company was a founding member of IATA, SITA and ICAO, the leading aviation organizations of the world.  Cubana serves 27 cities in domestic, regional Caribbean, Central America, North and South America, Canada and long haul flights to Europe.  

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 39167.html
****************************

Sunwing Vacations is pleased to announce that Royalton Negril Resort & Spa and Hideaway at Royalton Negril welcomed their first guests on March 31st. With the addition of these two new properties, vacationers can choose between four different Royalton Luxury Resorts island-wide (Royalton Blue Waters opened at the start of winter 2016 to complement the consistently popular Royalton White Sands).
Set on one of Jamaica's most legendary beachfronts, Royalton Negril Resort & Spa combines a breathtaking natural setting with an array of luxurious amenities including unlimited reservation-free dining, stylish outdoor lounges and nightly entertainment.  Younger travellers will appreciate the extensive pool complex, children's splash park and complimentary kids and teen clubs. Families can also take advantage of a variety of land and non-motorized water sports, such as kayaking or snorkelling, also offered at no extra charge.
Hideaway at Royalton Negril is an adults only haven nestled in the heart of the resort that offers couples, and honeymooners in particular, a tranquil enclave where they can enjoy a dedicated beach area, adults only infinity pool, and their own bar and restaurant while still taking advantage of all the features of the wider resort.

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/su ... 04304.html
*******************************************

Rmjhjr wrote:

I'm sorry, but why does he think he'll need 2 B738s to do KIN-FLL? I don't understand his reasoning there.

They will supplement each other:

Aircraft-1- KIN-FLL-KIN-GEO-KIN. The FLL-GEO traffic is worth $$$$$ .
Aircraft -2 KIN-JFK/YYZ

I also believe they will open KIN-HAV.

A388 wrote:

Great thanks hummingbird. So Caribbean Airlines will fly to Curacao today. I understand the flight number will be BW8000 and will arrive here tonight at 22:00. Can you

Hey A388. Sorry I missed the flight. But it apparently left KIN late evening. I believe 9Y-POS was used.

**********************************************

MBJ Shots

Unless OJ offers FLL GEO (via KIN) fares at low prices they will have heavy competition. GEO MIA is heavy with BW FF business travelers. PY's GEO MIA nonstop service is hugely popular now that it has gone to 3x weekly and FLL is near to MIA so many prefer the quick drive instead of the hassles of in transit travel. The GEO FL (MIA/FLL/MCO) market isn't as large as some might think it is when one considers that VFR travel is highly seasonal.

guyanam wrote:

Rmjhjr wrote:

None of that addressed my question so let me rephrase it.
They've never done any new routes as a regular fixture outside of what they began with. Now he's making a statement that he'll need 2 B738s to do a route he has no idea how it will work. So, why does he think he needs 2 when he has no idea how 1 will work? Why not attempt 2 flights at most for the day - one morning and one later afternoon? Then take it from there.... Wouldn't that make more logic? Not because it's Kingston means the planes will be full much less that he'll have good returns.

That's how I see it...

I am actually agreeing with you. Even with the planned route expansion (Air Guyana and KIN FLL) he can get by on 3 planes as not all 3 will be heavily used. I think that he thinks he needs an extra plane coming from the "one plane" days when a break down meant a schedule melt down and hordes of angry customers. But he really doesn't.

No one knows how he acquired his 2 planes but it doesn't appear as if he can fund the 737 purchases in house so he thinks that an IPO can do this. The IPO will force lots of public financial disclosures that he mightn't want which is why I think that a private placement might be more appropriate,,,,,,,,,except that I don't know if there is a market for that within the Caribbean. But he really seems to underestimate the fact that planes cost money, so having high utilization is key.

I also agree that the FLL KIN isn't as unlimited as he thinks that it is. If there was a shortage of capacity on the route either B6 would step up to a 3rd flight, NK would be consistently daily, or WN would have entered the FLL KIN market. Even if he pushes out BW I don't know that he needs all that plane, unless BW completely closes down its KIN base.

Right.
I say he only needs 1 play to do a KIN-FLL route and monitor it. If it's proving to be very profitable and the load is there then he can add another of increase frequency. It's Fort Lauderdale, it's not that far away anyways.

Thanks to our MBJ Resident Spotter-RH, we were able to capture the arrival of AC's B789. This was a sub flight for RV.


****************************************

But Opposition leader Peter Phillips expressed no confidence in the expansion project and claimed that the largest aircraft to be facilitated at the airport after the extension would be regional 90-seaters.
He said that Henry had already spent $450 million in 2010, which was $150 million above budget.
“The average operating loss to the Ian Fleming Airport is averaging between $50 million- $70 million per year with 2700 landings and only 200 of that sum being foreign aircrafts. The Government has now come back to the country less than a year in office to do more expansion work on the airport, to extend the existing runway by 700 feet, and some improvements to the terminal building, et cetera,” Phillips added.
He said that the Opposition was recommending that the Government approach the hoteliers and other private investors and package the Ian Fleming International Airport for divestment.
But Henry told the press that the basic point is Ian Fleming becoming an international airport to accept airlines like American eagle, which would enable passengers to “fly out of an airport that could take them to the East, West Coast of the United States, and Central and South America”.
He added that the runway should have been extended seven years ago when the cost was US$3 million.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Ian ... ists_95830

*****************************

Transport Minister Mike Henry says the Tinson Pen aerodrome is to be relocated to the proposed Vernamfield Aerotropolis in Clarendon.
The Transport Minister, who was contributing to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament yesterday, said the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing will also be relocated to Vernamfield as part of the multibillion-dollar development set for southwest Clarendon.
He says the relocation of Tinson Pen, as well as the proposed building of a logistics park, is being done as part of preparations for the privatisation  of the Norman Manley International Airport.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news ... -clarendon

*****************************

Mr. Bartlett’s first stop overseas will be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 18 to attend the 59th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa, followed by a high-level meeting on Chinese Outbound Tourism to Africa.
He will then travel to United Arab Emirates, Dubai, to attend the 42nd Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for the Middle East and the UNWTO and Arabian Travel Market Ministerial Forum on Tourism’s contribution to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and diversification in the MENA region on April 24.
While in Thailand, Minister Bartlett will participate in a press conference, scheduled for April 26, which will be jointly hosted by Secretary General of the UNWTO, Dr. Taleb Rifai, and a representative from the World Bank Group.
The news briefing will highlight sustainable tourism as a catalyst for national development on an international platform, where key media houses and stakeholders will be present.  Minister Bartlett is slated to return to Jamaica on April 29

http://jis.gov.jm/bartlett-promote-jama ... sm-summit/

********************************

The country will soon be able to accommodate large cargo aircraft at the proposed Vernamfield aerodrome in Clarendon.
This was disclosed by Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Mike Henry, during his 2017/18 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House on April 12.
The Minister said the cargo aerodrome is to be built as part of the development of Vernamfield into an aerotropolis.
“Aerotropolis is the new development which Time Magazine says drives the greatest development of the economies of the world,” he said, adding that Jamaica will be able to accommo­date the Antonov 124, the world’s largest cargo plane.
An aerotropolis is a metropolitan subregion where the layout, infrastructure and economy are centred on an airport which serves as a multimodal ‘airport city’ commercial core.
Mr. Henry noted that cargo services at the aerotropolis will be the major driver for the development of the area, which will comprise 4,000 acres of land.

http://jis.gov.jm/large-cargo-aircraft-vernamfield/
***************************
OJ had another KIN-SDQ-KIN run. The aircraft then continued to MMEX. Here is a pic of N767WA in SDQ. Photo credits to Dominican Plane Spotter.

hummingbird wrote:

Thanks to our MBJ Resident Spotter-RH, we were able to capture the arrival of AC's B789. This was a sub flight for RV.


****************************************

But Opposition leader Peter Phillips expressed no confidence in the expansion project and claimed that the largest aircraft to be facilitated at the airport after the extension would be regional 90-seaters.
He said that Henry had already spent $450 million in 2010, which was $150 million above budget.
“The average operating loss to the Ian Fleming Airport is averaging between $50 million- $70 million per year with 2700 landings and only 200 of that sum being foreign aircrafts. The Government has now come back to the country less than a year in office to do more expansion work on the airport, to extend the existing runway by 700 feet, and some improvements to the terminal building, et cetera,” Phillips added.
He said that the Opposition was recommending that the Government approach the hoteliers and other private investors and package the Ian Fleming International Airport for divestment.
But Henry told the press that the basic point is Ian Fleming becoming an international airport to accept airlines like American eagle, which would enable passengers to “fly out of an airport that could take them to the East, West Coast of the United States, and Central and South America”.
He added that the runway should have been extended seven years ago when the cost was US$3 million.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Ian ... ists_95830

*****************************

Transport Minister Mike Henry says the Tinson Pen aerodrome is to be relocated to the proposed Vernamfield Aerotropolis in Clarendon.
The Transport Minister, who was contributing to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament yesterday, said the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing will also be relocated to Vernamfield as part of the multibillion-dollar development set for southwest Clarendon.
He says the relocation of Tinson Pen, as well as the proposed building of a logistics park, is being done as part of preparations for the privatisation  of the Norman Manley International Airport.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news ... -clarendon

*****************************

Mr. Bartlett’s first stop overseas will be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 18 to attend the 59th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa, followed by a high-level meeting on Chinese Outbound Tourism to Africa.
He will then travel to United Arab Emirates, Dubai, to attend the 42nd Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for the Middle East and the UNWTO and Arabian Travel Market Ministerial Forum on Tourism’s contribution to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and diversification in the MENA region on April 24.
While in Thailand, Minister Bartlett will participate in a press conference, scheduled for April 26, which will be jointly hosted by Secretary General of the UNWTO, Dr. Taleb Rifai, and a representative from the World Bank Group.
The news briefing will highlight sustainable tourism as a catalyst for national development on an international platform, where key media houses and stakeholders will be present.  Minister Bartlett is slated to return to Jamaica on April 29

http://jis.gov.jm/bartlett-promote-jama ... sm-summit/

********************************

The country will soon be able to accommodate large cargo aircraft at the proposed Vernamfield aerodrome in Clarendon.
This was disclosed by Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Mike Henry, during his 2017/18 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House on April 12.
The Minister said the cargo aerodrome is to be built as part of the development of Vernamfield into an aerotropolis.
“Aerotropolis is the new development which Time Magazine says drives the greatest development of the economies of the world,” he said, adding that Jamaica will be able to accommo­date the Antonov 124, the world’s largest cargo plane.
An aerotropolis is a metropolitan subregion where the layout, infrastructure and economy are centred on an airport which serves as a multimodal ‘airport city’ commercial core.
Mr. Henry noted that cargo services at the aerotropolis will be the major driver for the development of the area, which will comprise 4,000 acres of land.

http://jis.gov.jm/large-cargo-aircraft-vernamfield/
***************************
OJ had another KIN-SDQ-KIN run. The aircraft then continued to MMEX. Here is a pic of N767WA in SDQ. Photo credits to Dominican Plane Spotter.

Here is the latest update on Fly Jamaica passenger numbers

The growth has been impressive. Relative to when the carrier began in 2013 with the 757 to the current state. That is over 173% growth


Current passenger count for Fly Jamaica

In 2017 -
In 2016 - 135,830
In 2015 - 93,325
In 2014 - 84,120
In 2013 - 50,000

Guys just so you. I finally joined Facebook to share my aircraft photos with aviation enthusiasts. Search my name (Roger Cannegieter) to send me a friend request so you can see my aircraft photos.

A388

Caribbean Airlines losing $3.2m a year as a result of fraud

He said the highest incidence of this fraud was at four points of entry —
Trinidad (to New York);
Kingston (to New York);
Guyana (to North America) and
“out of Caracas”,
the latter of which was being addressed through the immigration department.

Trinidadians are among credit card tricksters involved in the unauthorised use of people’s credit card information to purchase airline tickets which is causing state-owned Caribbean Airlines to lose about TT$3.25 million annually.

http://antiguaobserver.com/credit-card- ... 2m-a-year/

OJ has implemented a requirement for all tickets purchased online with the following advisor:

The Credit Card used to purchase the ticket(s) MUST be produced at the time of check-in. If the card holder is not a member of the travelling party, the passenger must provide a signed photocopy of the card used (front and back) with the Card Verification Value (CVV) number blacked out for security reasons.

A copy of the cardholder's government issued ID MUST also be presented.

A388 wrote:

Guys just so you. I finally joined Facebook to share my aircraft photos with aviation enthusiasts. Search my name (Roger Cannegieter) to send me a friend request so you can see my aircraft photos.

A388

I found you.... Rupert Haughton

Hey Rmjhjr great. I haven't seen your friend request yet but we'll get in touch

A388

Yesterday MBJ saw 3 B763 from RV and AC.
AC had one ex YUL and the other YQB.
RV operated their regular B763.

Today's flight is being operated with a B77L.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA2104

Here is a pic of the B77L that was used last Sunday.



******************************************

OAG Filing.

DL BOS-MBJ DEC 0.1>0.3.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1361227
**********************************
Thomson Holidays have recently announced their 2018 Holidays including the addition of the Dreamliner flight from Cardiff to Montego Bay (MBJ/MKJS) for the winter 2017/2018 season.
According to Thomson, The first Jamaica-bound Dreamliner, TOM 754, departs Cardiff on Tuesday 19th December 2017 at 10:10 for the 9hr flight to the Caribbean island. However, the first bookable flight we found was on the 16th January 2018.
https://www.aviationwales.com/thomson-m ... f-airport/
***********************
"In Jamaica, American Airlines transported a significant percentage of the Montego Bay airport's passenger traffic," said GAP. "In 2016, revenues from American Airlines and the passengers it moved through the Montego Bay airport totalled 236.8 million pesos (US$11.5 million), of which 156.9 million pesos (US$7.6 million) was paid to Montego Bay Jamaica Airports in the form of passenger charges, representing 14.7 per cent of the sum of aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues for the Montego Bay airport," it added.

capital upgrades
GAP plans to spend US$37.9 million on capital upgrades between 2015 to 2019. In 2016, MBJ Airports Limited (MBJA), operators of the facility, made investments of approximately US$2.4 million in capital expenditure, primarily for expansion and remodelling of the terminal and improvements to the runway and apron. In 2015, MBJA made investments of approximately US$700,000 in capital expenditure, which was fully dedicated to the replacement of equipment, the company said.
"These capital investments have been earmarked for the expansion of terminals, aprons and equipment at the Montego Bay airport. Estimated committed investments in the current capital development programme from April 2015 through December 2019 are US$37.9 million. These investment commitments are expected to be funded by cash flows from operations. However, MBJA may seek financing, subject to Airports Authority of Jamaica approval, if favourable terms are available," stated the financials.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... says-mobay

hummingbird wrote:

Today's flight is being operated with a B77L.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA2104

Is this an extra flight? The flight number seems odd. Usually it's 1804... or is it AC changed it recently? Great to see their "big birds" in the Bay.

hummingbird wrote:

In Jamaica, American Airlines transported a significant percentage of the Montego Bay airport's passenger traffic

No surprise there. They are a big deal in MBJ... especially with the US merger now.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The passengers and crew of American Airlines flight AAL 1589, which recently landed in Jamaica from Miami, were pleasantly surprised when they received a personal welcome from Prime Minister Andrew Holness. 
“AAL 1589, this is the Prime Minister of Jamaica, welcoming you to Jamaica,” Holness said. 
The welcome was met with a lusty “Thank You!” from the aircraft’s seemingly surprised pilot.                               
Holness took the opportunity after watching the aircraft touch down at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, during his official tour of the facility’s state-of-the-art air traffic control tower on April 19
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/PM- ... trol-tower

******************************************
OJ's travel advisory due to closure at NMIA tonight.
https://www.fly-jamaica.com/flight-sche ... april-2017

******************************************
Key word-"Luxury".

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) — The online travel agency Expedia has announced plans to open an arrival lounge at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James.
The Expedia Local Expert Arrival Lounge will provide guests with a place to orientate themselves on their destination after their flight.
The lounge will also serve as a place for Expedia guests to check on ground transportation to their hotel.
Expedia recently reported that travel demand to luxury properties in Jamaica registered one of the largest increases in the Caribbean.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Exp ... al-Airport
*********************************

airjamaica wrote:

Is this an extra flight? The flight number seems odd. Usually it's 1804... or is it AC changed it recently? Great to see their "big birds" in the Bay.

Whenever they operate 'sub flights", the numbers are changed..

airjamaica wrote:

No surprise there. They are a big deal in MBJ... especially with the US merger now.

I have a feeling we will get the A330s from CLT this upcoming winter. Currently, the majority of flights are being flown with A321s.


Pics of 3 AC/RV aircraft action in MBJ this past Saturday. Not the best of weather conditions.

hummingbird wrote:

Whenever they operate 'sub flights", the numbers are changed..

Oh yes. That's true. Thought it was a one off scheduled operation.

hummingbird wrote:

I have a feeling we will get the A330s from CLT this upcoming winter. Currently, the majority of flights are being flown with A321s.

Yes. Sooner or later it will do CLT-MBJ at some point. I like those "birds".

hummingbird wrote:

Pics of 3 AC/RV aircraft action in MBJ this past Saturday. Not the best of weather conditions.

Great shots. Last weekend it RAINED galore in Jamaica.

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

Whenever they operate 'sub flights", the numbers are changed..

Oh yes. That's true. Thought it was a one off scheduled operation.

Actually, when AC operates it's own flights like on the weekends it remains AC15##. Once you see AC2### then it's a substitution.

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

I have a feeling we will get the A330s from CLT this upcoming winter. Currently, the majority of flights are being flown with A321s.

Yes. Sooner or later it will do CLT-MBJ at some point. I like those "birds".

I strongly believe something will be happening. A friend who works with them was saying there were "whispers" to sort of that effect. Will have to investigate though.

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

Pics of 3 AC/RV aircraft action in MBJ this past Saturday. Not the best of weather conditions.

Great shots. Last weekend it RAINED galore in Jamaica.

It was fun though! Got a lil sicker but it was still fun....lol.

The decision for Ethiopian Airlines to be the official carrier for African States attending the ‘UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’, was made during Minister Bartlett’s just concluded trip to Ethiopia, following a meeting between Minister Bartlett and Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam

. - See more at: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/et ... anz6q.dpuf
**************************************************

“In meetings with senior tourism officials from several countries in Africa, there is a lot of love out there for Jamaica,” Mr. Bartlett told JIS News, following a meeting with dignitaries in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
“There is a lot of interest from Nigeria, where there is a huge middle class, and also from Ghana, where Rita Marley has a huge and very interesting set-up. Also, here in Ethiopia, the excitement is huge, where the people are feeling a special connection with Jamaica,” the Minister said.
“I have always maintained that the African market is huge and has untapped potential, and beginning with the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conference, we are going to make a big splash in this market,” the Minister added.
Mr. Bartlett pointed out that with the United States, Canadian and European markets holding steady, and in some cases ahead of projections, an inroad into both the Asian and African markets would put Jamaica way ahead of the game.
“We just concluded a meeting with Ethiopian Airlines, one of the real powerbrokers in travel throughout Africa. In partnership with United Airlines in the United States, it is a great set-up as it relates to connections into Jamaica. United, as we know, flies daily into Jamaica,” he noted.
Mr. Bartlett, who also has a very important meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, where he will be among some very influential speakers, including former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, added that the UNWTO conference, which is slated for the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James in November, is shaping up to be the biggest tourism conference to ever be held within the Caribbean region.

http://jis.gov.jm/jamaica-five-million-visitors-earlier-projected/

***********************************************

Field said Easy Sky would not be allowed to resume flights to Guyana until a complete review of its application and approval process is completed.

“They don't have permission to bring in more passengers until we have carried out a complete surveillance on them. The authority will be conducting a complete review of their approval process and also of their current operation,” Field told the Guyana-based online publication.
Hundreds of Cubans fly to Guyana weekly to shop for clothing, electronic and other items.

.http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/article/ ... 29978/1373

Rmjhjr wrote:

I strongly believe something will be happening. A friend who works with them was saying there were "whispers" to sort of that effect. Will have to investigate though.

:

airjamaica wrote:

Yes. Sooner or later it will do CLT-MBJ at some point. I like those "birds".

airjamaica wrote:

Great shots. Last weekend it RAINED galore in Jamaica.

hummingbird wrote:

Yesterday MBJ saw 3 B763 from RV and AC.
AC had one ex YUL and the other YQB.
RV operated their regular B763.

Today's flight is being operated with a B77L.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA2104

Here is a pic of the B77L that was used last Sunday.



******************************************

OAG Filing.

DL BOS-MBJ DEC 0.1>0.3.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1361227
**********************************
Thomson Holidays have recently announced their 2018 Holidays including the addition of the Dreamliner flight from Cardiff to Montego Bay (MBJ/MKJS) for the winter 2017/2018 season.
According to Thomson, The first Jamaica-bound Dreamliner, TOM 754, departs Cardiff on Tuesday 19th December 2017 at 10:10 for the 9hr flight to the Caribbean island. However, the first bookable flight we found was on the 16th January 2018.
https://www.aviationwales.com/thomson-m ... f-airport/
***********************
"In Jamaica, American Airlines transported a significant percentage of the Montego Bay airport's passenger traffic," said GAP. "In 2016, revenues from American Airlines and the passengers it moved through the Montego Bay airport totalled 236.8 million pesos (US$11.5 million), of which 156.9 million pesos (US$7.6 million) was paid to Montego Bay Jamaica Airports in the form of passenger charges, representing 14.7 per cent of the sum of aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues for the Montego Bay airport," it added.

capital upgrades
GAP plans to spend US$37.9 million on capital upgrades between 2015 to 2019. In 2016, MBJ Airports Limited (MBJA), operators of the facility, made investments of approximately US$2.4 million in capital expenditure, primarily for expansion and remodelling of the terminal and improvements to the runway and apron. In 2015, MBJA made investments of approximately US$700,000 in capital expenditure, which was fully dedicated to the replacement of equipment, the company said.
"These capital investments have been earmarked for the expansion of terminals, aprons and equipment at the Montego Bay airport. Estimated committed investments in the current capital development programme from April 2015 through December 2019 are US$37.9 million. These investment commitments are expected to be funded by cash flows from operations. However, MBJA may seek financing, subject to Airports Authority of Jamaica approval, if favourable terms are available," stated the financials.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... says-mobay

Air Canada is expanding and Rouge will be adding Toronto to St Vincent effective December of 2017
Air Canada is also introducing Toronto to Belize

Both new routes will be operated by the A319-100

jm079 wrote:

Air Canada is expanding and Rouge will be adding Toronto to St Vincent effective December of 2017
Air Canada is also introducing Toronto to Belize

Both new routes will be operated by the A319-100

Yes... This is the first official, truthful release regarding SVG/AIA. And it's a good way to start service too. I do want to believe that AC wouldn't want another carrier to be servicing them anyways so they made sure to jump on it. RV - I'm eager to see how well they will do there.

Latest JCAA filings.





*********************************************************

Thomson Airways is operating a weekly service to the Caribbean island this summer, using a state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Thomson launched its long-haul flying programme from Stansted last year, flying direct to Cancun on Mexico’s Caribbean coast and Orlando-Sanford, Florida. The new route to Jamaica takes the total number of destinations served by the airline from Stansted to 23.
Stansted Airport’s aviation director, Mats Sigurdson, said: “This new flight to Jamaica is a fantastic boost to the airport and for people in the region and east and north London looking for a holiday in the Caribbean from their local airport.
“This is another new route for the airport and we’re delighted that Thomson has once again recognised that Stansted is the perfect location to develop and grow their network.”

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/first ... -1-5003765

******************************************************

Nine entities have applied for prequalification for the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) public-private partnership in response to the government’s request, the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) said.
The invitation was issued on February 20, 2017 and the request for prequalification closed on May 1, with the opening taking place later that day at the DBJ’s Oxford Road office in New Kingston.
Applications were submitted by Vinci Airports SAS, Cedicor S.A., Acciona Concesiones, S.L., GMR Infrastructure Limited, Zurich Airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. which currently operates the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay; Corporacion del Este, S.A.S., EGIS Projects S.A. and Jamaica Infra Development Partners Limited.
DBJ Managing Director Milverton Reynolds said the NMIA enterprise team will now review and assess the submissions to determine whether they are substantially responsive to the government’s legal, technical and financial criteria as set out in the February 2017 request.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/busi ... -airport-0

***************************************************


MBJ Shots








***********************************

Rmjhjr wrote:

It was fun though! Got a lil sicker but it was still fun....lol.

Some of the best spotting shots can be taken during periods of rain. You can really get some interesting effects/results. Some flights inbound to MBJ diverted to KIN last week during the heavy rains. Was on Dyke Road one afternoon & I saw a UA B738 & an AA A321 on long final for KIN. More rains are in the forecast for this weekend, so it should be another soggy one.

hummingbird wrote:

MBJ Shots

Those AA special retro AirCal livery colours remind me so much of JM's own. Lol.

Just read that Guyana Airways ( Air Guyana ) will be launching mid 2017 with 2 airbus A340 aircraft. Going to New York, Miami and Cuba. Any confirmation on that.

airjamaica wrote:

Rmjhjr wrote:

It was fun though! Got a lil sicker but it was still fun....lol.

Some of the best spotting shots can be taken during periods of rain. You can really get some interesting effects/results. Some flights inbound to MBJ diverted to KIN last week during the heavy rains. Was on Dyke Road one afternoon & I saw a UA B738 & an AA A321 on long final for KIN. More rains are in the forecast for this weekend, so it should be another soggy one.

I think 2 times now I went out and spotted in the rain on a Saturday. Fair enough I can say I'm quite satisfied with the outcome. You'll see the pics soon I suppose.

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

MBJ Shots

Those AA special retro AirCal livery colours remind me so much of JM's own. Lol.

You know, it really does. As well as Air Pacific.

There is a growing Haitian population in the Dutch-, English- and French-speaking Guianas.

The airline has already programmed Guyana into its online booking site, but hasn't put a schedule in place yet because it is awaiting approval from the civil aviation authorities in Guyana.

Sunrise’s service will also connect St Maarten and Cuba because the airline has a strong presence in that country, where it serves three gateways: Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey.

Sunrise Airways will deploy its Airbus A320 on its new flights to St Maarten with a total capacity of up to 150 seats. From its hub in Port-au-Prince, Sunrise currently serves Santo Domingo and Santiago in the Dominican Republic; Havana, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba in Cuba; and Cap Haitien in northern Haiti.

The Haitian airline is also awaiting approval to commence flights new flights to/from Orlando, Florida; Georgetown, Guyana; Kingston, Jamaica; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas, which are planned for 2017 pending government approval.

Sunrise’s fleet is made up of one Airbus 320 and two Jetstream aircraft.

http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headlin ... 34440.html

-----------------------------------------------------

SANTO DOMINGO - Olivier Arrindell, CEO of AVA Airways, held a meeting with Alejandro Herrera, Director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), and explained the plans his company has to operate from the Dominican Republic with Airbus A320 aircraft.
AVA would be operating in principle flights from Santo Domingo to Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Jamaica and the US.
The airline would also be operating the Bombardier Q400 aircraft to the nearest destinations.

http://curacaochronicle.com/main/ava-ai ... -republic/

-----------------------------------------------

The rage of some 155 passengers on Delta flight 28 from Kingston to Atlanta last Friday morning was justified, we think, based on widespread complaints that they were left in the dark for long periods before being told what would become of them, or their flight, after it had been cancelled.It is noteworthy that the passengers did not complain about the cancellation per se, as there was clear understanding that safety is first at all times when it comes to flying. Their beef was about how the matter was handled after they were told that the plane's computer system had triggered a smoke detector in the baggage hold and then deplaned.
According to the passengers whose claims were published in last Saturday's Jamaica Observer, the airline's ground crew could not provide information that would assure them that arrangements were being made to get them to their destination. Many of them had work to attend.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editoria ... ofile=1100

*********************************

A 2016 study titled, "Guyana Airlift Capacity," by a Guyanese aviation expert, who wants to remain anonymous, concluded that "the hub potential is at Ogle and not at Cheddi Jagan International Airport."
"Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic have a much better tourism product yet none of these countries operate their own international airlines anymore. Instead they have created the conditions to attract legacy carriers," the report says.
Constraints and Progress

http://www.aviationpros.com/news/123336 ... dy-reveals

******************************

“This is a great flight!” said Howard Thomas, a resident of Huntums Ghut, who returned from a trip to Kingston, Jamaica. “I booked my return leg last Friday. The price was right and, since I don’t have a US Visa, this was the best and most direct way for me to fly back.”

http://bvinews.com/new/first-trip/

******************************

beeweel15 wrote:

Just read that Guyana Airways ( Air Guyana ) will be launching mid 2017 with 2 airbus A340 aircraft. Going to New York, Miami and Cuba. Any confirmation on that.

A340 to Miami is laughable.

airjamaica wrote:

Those AA special retro AirCal livery colours remind me so much of JM's own. Lol.

Agree.


MBJ Shots

hummingbird wrote:

There is a growing Haitian population in the Dutch-, English- and French-speaking Guianas.

The airline has already programmed Guyana into its online booking site, but hasn't put a schedule in place yet because it is awaiting approval from the civil aviation authorities in Guyana.

Sunrise’s service will also connect St Maarten and Cuba because the airline has a strong presence in that country, where it serves three gateways: Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey.

Sunrise Airways will deploy its Airbus A320 on its new flights to St Maarten with a total capacity of up to 150 seats. From its hub in Port-au-Prince, Sunrise currently serves Santo Domingo and Santiago in the Dominican Republic; Havana, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba in Cuba; and Cap Haitien in northern Haiti.

The Haitian airline is also awaiting approval to commence flights new flights to/from Orlando, Florida; Georgetown, Guyana; Kingston, Jamaica; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas, which are planned for 2017 pending government approval.

Sunrise’s fleet is made up of one Airbus 320 and two Jetstream aircraft.

http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headlin ... 34440.html

-----------------------------------------------------

SANTO DOMINGO - Olivier Arrindell, CEO of AVA Airways, held a meeting with Alejandro Herrera, Director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), and explained the plans his company has to operate from the Dominican Republic with Airbus A320 aircraft.
AVA would be operating in principle flights from Santo Domingo to Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Jamaica and the US.
The airline would also be operating the Bombardier Q400 aircraft to the nearest destinations.

http://curacaochronicle.com/main/ava-ai ... -republic/

-----------------------------------------------

The rage of some 155 passengers on Delta flight 28 from Kingston to Atlanta last Friday morning was justified, we think, based on widespread complaints that they were left in the dark for long periods before being told what would become of them, or their flight, after it had been cancelled.It is noteworthy that the passengers did not complain about the cancellation per se, as there was clear understanding that safety is first at all times when it comes to flying. Their beef was about how the matter was handled after they were told that the plane's computer system had triggered a smoke detector in the baggage hold and then deplaned.
According to the passengers whose claims were published in last Saturday's Jamaica Observer, the airline's ground crew could not provide information that would assure them that arrangements were being made to get them to their destination. Many of them had work to attend.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editoria ... ofile=1100

*********************************

A 2016 study titled, "Guyana Airlift Capacity," by a Guyanese aviation expert, who wants to remain anonymous, concluded that "the hub potential is at Ogle and not at Cheddi Jagan International Airport."
"Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic have a much better tourism product yet none of these countries operate their own international airlines anymore. Instead they have created the conditions to attract legacy carriers," the report says.
Constraints and Progress

http://www.aviationpros.com/news/123336 ... dy-reveals

******************************

“This is a great flight!” said Howard Thomas, a resident of Huntums Ghut, who returned from a trip to Kingston, Jamaica. “I booked my return leg last Friday. The price was right and, since I don’t have a US Visa, this was the best and most direct way for me to fly back.”

http://bvinews.com/new/first-trip/

******************************

beeweel15 wrote:

Just read that Guyana Airways ( Air Guyana ) will be launching mid 2017 with 2 airbus A340 aircraft. Going to New York, Miami and Cuba. Any confirmation on that.

A340 to Miami is laughable.

airjamaica wrote:

Those AA special retro AirCal livery colours remind me so much of JM's own. Lol.

Agree.


MBJ Shots

The Suriname Mission Report of 2012 provided some back ground information on the Haitian Community in the wider Caribbean and Sunrise Airways business plan to service the Guyana to Haiti Market:

As with the Dominican Republic, the nature of undocumented migration in other countries in the
Caribbean makes it difficult to establish precise statistics, but it is thought that there are around
40,000–50,000 Haitians or Haitian-descended people in the Bahamas; 30,000–40,000 in Guyana;
15,000 in Guadeloupe, 15,000 in St Martin; 10,000 in the TCI and 5,000 in Martinique. A further
1,000 are thought to live in Jamaica; 1,000 in Venezuela and 500 in Cuba, and now a reported 5000
in Suriname3
. None of these migrant populations have attracted the level of international attention
of those in the Dominican Republic, but each faces its own challenges ranging from discrimination to
marginalization and legal status problems.

jm079 wrote:

[
; 30,000–40,000 in Guyana;
.

This population refers to FRENCH Guyane, not Guyana. The issue is that the French word for GUYANA is GUYANE so we have two countries with the same name, and this causes confusion.

An OJ charter arrived into GEO from PAP a few months ago and every one, including the authorities were mystified about this. The Haitians had appropriate documentation so were admitted. Then it was discovered that the vast majority had moved onto Suriname.

There is a large Haitian population living along the Suriname/Fr, Guyane border. They work or trade with Fr. Guyane but live in Suriname where living costs are lower.

It would seem more appropriate for Sunrise to fly to PBM rather than GEO, but maybe Suriname is protective of PY so is making life difficult for Sunrise to fly there. Many Haitians fly to PBM to sneak over the border to Fr. Guyane. They used to fly Insel PAP PBM via CUR, but of course that is no longer possible.

I am not sure what demand exists for a PAP GEO flight, given that there is no O&D between these points and I don't know what connectivity Sunrise offers that will interest Guyanese. PAP doesn't have the best reputation anyway.

Sandals has released details of there new hotel in Kingston:

Marriott And Sandals Team Up On New Resort

Sandals announced Monday the partnership will begin with the 220-room AC Kingston, slated to open winter 2019. Construction on the $50 million project will get underway this month. The property will offer a 10,000-square-foot conference center and full-service restaurant.

“Kingston is quickly becoming a starting point for visitors who want to discover Jamaica beyond its beaches, from its rich musical tradition that begins here to the wonders of the Blue Mountains – a UNESCO world heritage site,” said Sandals Resorts CEO and deputy chairman Adam Stewart.

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/artic ... New-Resort

The Breaking news

Sandals Is Looking For A Buyer
Sandals Resorts International "is exploring options to accelerate the company's long-term growth and development plans,” including selling the company to a new owner, it said in a statement on Thursday.

Reuters on Wednesday reported that the Caribbean resort operator has hired investment bank Deutsche Bank AG to “explore several options, including a sale of a majority stake in the company.”

Sandals was founded 36 years ago by Gordon "Butch" Stewart, who has owned it ever since. It is now the largest non-government employer in Jamaica and could be worth well over $1 billion, including debt, Reuters said.

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/artic ... or-A-Buyer

In 2016, the Caribbean received the lion’s share of cruise ship deployments, at 33.7 percent, said Michele Paige, president of Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. That share is expected to grow by 5 percent in 2017, she said, with ships specifically designed for outdoor activities.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/busines ... 37948.html

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says that several new cruises, including two new upmarket boutique cruises to Port Antonio, Portland and a Luxury liner into Montego Bay filled primarily with European tourists, are scheduled to set sail starting late this year.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/New ... -this-year

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Why One-Third of Cruise Passengers Stay on the Ship
"A recent Wave Season survey conducted by leading travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance showed that 34.3% of Americans stay on the ship either the entire cruise, or the majority of their cruise."
What were the reasons for passengers wanting to stay on the ship?

Safety concerns with the destination – 36.2 %.
Disinterest in the destination – 17.7%
Fear of not getting back to the ship on time – 16.8%
Inclusive food/drinks on the ship – 9.4%
Not having booked an off-board activity – 8.3%
Having visited the destination on a previous trip – 6.8%
Lack of internet/mobile connectivity – 4.8%

http://cruisefever.net/one-third-cruise ... stay-ship/

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Falmouth Ready To Take Flight - Bartlett
"Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said Falmouth, Trelawny has the capacity to become the largest distributor of cruise passengers in the Caribbean, projecting that cruise arrivals should reach 1.5 million by 2021.

Bartlett, who was opening the 2017 Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Tuesday, added that the town should also see earnings of US$180 million or J$2 billion from tourism spending. This, he noted, would entail increasing the average spend by each cruise passenger to US$120, up from the $90 now being spent."

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news ... t-bartlett

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jamaica A Remarkable Destination For Cruise Shipping - FCCA President
"Rejecting any scepticism regarding Jamaica, president of the powerful Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), Michele Paige, has endorsed the island as a first-call destination for cruise shipping.

Paige, who spent three days, along with other FCCA officials, visiting ports, attractions and interacting with Jamaican stakeholders, said while there have been some well-documented problems with Jamaica as a port of call, there is now every reason to believe the authorities are serious about transformation.

"Jamaica must be commended for putting measures in place to becoming a first call destination for cruise shipping. What we have seen over the past three days has been nothing short of remarkable," said Paige."

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead ... -president

Both OJ aircraft are now in MEX. Yesterday's flights were operated as follow:
Omni Air B763 was ferried from DFW into KIN. It operated KIN-YYZ-GEO. Dynamic's B763 was ferried from JFK-YYZ and operated YYZ-KIN. The aircraft is still in KIN and will dep later today.

***************************************

OAG Filings.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1363761

Basically they are funneling more of their international connections via the New FLL Hub.

[b]WN FLL-MBJ OCT 0>1.0 NOV 0>1.9 DEC 0>2[/b]

WN HOU-MBJ OCT 1.0>0.6 NOV 1.0>0.6 DEC 1.0>0.8
WN MCO-MBJ OCT 1.0>0.7 NOV 1.0>0.8 DEC 1.0>0.8
WN MDW-MBJ NOV 0.9>0.7 DEC 1.0>0.7
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jamaica has signed a visa waiver agreement with the Dominican Republic.
It is one of several bilateral agreements brokered by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during a recent official visit to the country.
The visa waiver will facilitate easier travelling for holders of diplomatic and official passports between Jamaica and the Domincan Republic.

http://jis.gov.jm/pm-holness-completes- ... -republic/
***********************************************

Buoyed by its successful purchase of Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 2015, GAP is bidding on another airport concession in Jamaica. It is one of several groups currently submitting proposals to operate Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston

http://host.madison.com/business/investment/markets-and-stocks/traffic-expansion-eases-at-grupo-aeroportuario-del-pacifico-s-airports/article_e74760e0-64c0-5ee2-a146-17008618b162.html

*****************************************************

Rmjhjr wrote:

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says that several new cruises, including two new upmarket boutique cruises to Port Antonio, Portland and a Luxury liner into Montego Bay filled primarily with European tourists, are scheduled to set sail starting late this year.

I wonder which European carrier will feed this new Luxury Cruise Liner?

jm079 wrote:

“Kingston is quickly becoming a starting point for visitors who want to discover Jamaica beyond its beaches, from its rich musical tradition that begins here to the wonders of the Blue Mountains – a UNESCO world heritage site,” said Sandals Resorts CEO and deputy chairman Adam Stewart.

This needed concept will make KIN more appealing to upscale clients.
**********************************************

MBJ Shots.

hummingbird wrote:

Both OJ aircraft are now in MEX. Yesterday's flights were operated as follow:
Omni Air B763 was ferried from DFW into KIN. It operated KIN-YYZ-GEO. Dynamic's B763 was ferried from JFK-YYZ and operated YYZ-KIN. The aircraft is still in KIN and will dep later today.

For maintenance I assume. How long will both aircraft be in MEX?

hummingbird wrote:

MBJ Shots.

In that photo with the massive line up parked at the various gates... it seem the WN & BW aircraft to the extreme right of the image are parked at remote stands (?)

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

Both OJ aircraft are now in MEX. Yesterday's flights were operated as follow:
Omni Air B763 was ferried from DFW into KIN. It operated KIN-YYZ-GEO. Dynamic's B763 was ferried from JFK-YYZ and operated YYZ-KIN. The aircraft is still in KIN and will dep later today.

For maintenance I assume. How long will both aircraft be in MEX?

The 757 came out I think Thursday afternoon but the 763 was still there.

airjamaica wrote:

hummingbird wrote:

MBJ Shots.

In that photo with the massive line up parked at the various gates... it seem the WN & BW aircraft to the extreme right of the image are parked at remote stands (?)

On yeah... They both were there with WN occupying BW's usual spot. I consider it a portent of their future expansion plans when they plan to add gates

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC) — The Dominican Republic based airline Pawa is scheduled to start flights to Jamaica later this year.The initiative was sparked by the recent visit from Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
During one of the many meetings, both Dominican and Jamaican business leaders urged Holness and President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina to open direct flights between Kingston and Santo Domingo.
While Pawa is yet to announce the start date of flights and the frequency, airline officials have confirmed that the route will start operating in the last quarter of 2017

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestne ... _this_year

************************************
B6 is now using the A321 to MBJ from JFK. Looks like there has been a reduction in services.

************************************

Rmjhjr wrote:

On yeah... They both were there with WN occupying BW's usual spot. I consider it a portent of their future expansion plans when they plan to add gates

The rate at which they are growing, they need to add gates soon.

airjamaica wrote:

For maintenance I assume. How long will both aircraft be in MEX?

The B763 is still in MEX. With the plans to launch Air Guyana, it should return with an updated livery.

*****************************************************

MBJ Shots.

Jamaica will, for the first time, record more than one million stopover visitors within a six-month period, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is projecting.
Currently, the figures stand at 900,071, and with April recording a 10 per cent increase over the same period last year, May reporting an 8.7 per cent jump and June projecting double digits, Bartlett said exceeding the one-million mark was certain.
Earnings are already trending at six per cent, twice the rate of increase of arrivals, also a first for Jamaica, Bartlett noted.
In the first four months of 2017, the sector earned a record US$1 billion - a 6.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.
The tourism minister was addressing the media, tourism officials and Southwest Airlines executives during a reception commemorating the arrival of the US carrier's inaugural Ft Lauderdale, Florida-Montego Bay.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead ... month-mark
**********************************************

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica has today confirmed that neither Jamaican Immigration or Customs officials, nor any security personnel retained by the Government of Jamaica conducted a search on a Trinidadian Minister of Government at the Norman Manley International Airport.
The Ministry was responding to media reports of an incident in which the Hon. Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago was searched, immediately prior to boarding an international flight on Friday, June 2, 2017.  The reports allege that the search was conducted by Jamaican immigration authorities notwithstanding their having been aware of the Minister’s official status.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, in speaking on the matter said “Our initial enquiries indicate that a search took place, but that it was conducted by a private security company retained by the international airline on which the Minister and her delegation were travelling.  Furthermore, we are advised that such searches are generally undertaken by the airline under international conventions, and are based on random computer selection for additional security screening.”

http://jis.gov.jm/trinidadian-minister- ... thorities/
**************************************************

Bartlett said that as a result of a targeted focus on Western Europe and driving increased arrivals from there, weekly charter flights between Spain, Portugal, and Jamaica will also begin this month.
"Those flights are sold by the Barcelo Group under their tour operator brands. The Portugal flights will be operated by Orbest from June 9 to September 29 and goes out of their capital city Lisbon, with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers, representing above 6,000 new seats.
"Meanwhile, the Spain flights will be operated by Evelop non-stop out of their capital city, Madrid, into Montego Bay from June 25 to October 28 with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers, representing over 8,000 new seats," added Bartlett.
He said he is also looking forward to one of Europe's leading airlines, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, coming to the island with a twice-weekly scheduled service between Germany's largest populated metropolitan region (Bonn/Cologne) and Montego Bay, beginning July 3.
This should represent some 33,000 new seats over the period of a year. The new scheduled service will complement weekly charter services operated by German air carrier Condor from the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich into Montego

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news ... ting-today

************************************************

Scores of Jamaicans have been left stranded in Curacao since March, when Dutch Caribbean carrier InselAir, which serves as the country's national airline, suspended its services to several destinations, including Kingston.
Jamaicans who want to visit family and friends in Curacao have also found themselves in trouble to get to that country as they need to transit through the United States and need a US visa to do so.
InselAir, on its official website, blamed the grounding of portion of its fleet as the reason behind the suspension, and listed Barquisimeto, Caracas, Georgetown, Haiti, Havana, and Kingston among the destinations affected.
The airline said service to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and St Maarten would remain in place and regular service should resume later this month. An exact date is not stated.
The airline usually charges between J$30,000 and J$40,000 for a flight from Kingston to Curacao.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead ... ect-flight

********************************************

TORONTO - Beginning December 19, 2017 and available weekly until April 3, 2018, Sunwing will be operating a direct flight service this coming winter and early next spring to the popular resort destination of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Vacationers that choose to take advantage of the new and extended flight service –which is anticipated to be the only direct connection to the island available from Vancouver this coming winter - can choose between a stay at one of the tour operator's leading luxury resorts or a cruise package on board the newly-refurbished TUI Discovery 2  that will commence sailing from Montego Bay this November.

- See more at: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/su ... pLnXx.dpuf

*****************************************

LANSING - Tourists will be able to hop a direct flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica from Capital Regional International Airport beginning in December.
Apple Vacations will expand its Exclusive Vacation Flight charter program with flights out of Lansing operating on Swift Air, according to a news release. 
The company will continue flights to Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
More: A snub? Michigan left off list of great beach towns
"This is coming up on our ninth year of international service for the Capital Regional International Airport," said Nicole Noll-Williams, the Lansing airport's director of marketing and passenger development. "It has been six years since we’ve had Montego Bay as one of our international destinations. And travelers will clear customs right here at the Lansing airport."
Beginning Dec. 23, chartered flights aboard a 174-seat 737-800 aircraft operated by Swift Air will depart Lansing for Cancun on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, for Punta Cana on Wednesdays and Sundays and for Montego Bay on Mondays.
A total of 78 non-stop flights will be offered from Lansing between Dec. 23 and April 5.
Prices will depend on the type of package purchased.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/stor ... 354506001/

Scores of Jamaicans have been left stranded in Curacao since March, when Dutch Caribbean carrier InselAir, which serves as the country's national airline, suspended its services to several destinations, including Kingston.
Jamaicans who want to visit family and friends in Curacao have also found themselves in trouble to get to that country as they need to transit through the United States and need a US visa to do so.
InselAir, on its official website, blamed the grounding of portion of its fleet as the reason behind the suspension, and listed Barquisimeto, Caracas, Georgetown, Haiti, Havana, and Kingston among the destinations affected.
The airline said service to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and St Maarten would remain in place and regular service should resume later this month. An exact date is not stated.
The airline usually charges between J$30,000 and J$40,000 for a flight from Kingston to Curacao.

The article fails to mention that PAWA will be serving KIN-SDQ soon (no date announced). The flight will allow for connections to CUR, BON, AUA, and other destinations. If all proceeds according to plan, the dilemma of the Jamaicans stuck in Curacao should be over soon. Also, keep in mind that Jamaica PM Holness recently visited SDQ and direct flights (presumably on PAWA) were part of the talks between the Jamaica and Dominican Republic governments.

hummingbird wrote:

Jamaica will, for the first time, record more than one million stopover visitors within a six-month period, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is projecting.
Currently, the figures stand at 900,071, and with April recording a 10 per cent increase over the same period last year, May reporting an 8.7 per cent jump and June projecting double digits, Bartlett said exceeding the one-million mark was certain.
Earnings are already trending at six per cent, twice the rate of increase of arrivals, also a first for Jamaica, Bartlett noted.
In the first four months of 2017, the sector earned a record US$1 billion - a 6.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.
The tourism minister was addressing the media, tourism officials and Southwest Airlines executives during a reception commemorating the arrival of the US carrier's inaugural Ft Lauderdale, Florida-Montego Bay.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead ... month-mark

Well as far as this growth is concerned I can definitely see it happen and surpassing expectations. It's really something else to see that a period like now which years ago appeared to be slow still see multiple flights frm the likes of DAL and AA with up to 10 flights from either on a given day. And too, AA has not resorted to using the A320s on the Charlotte and Philadelphia routes. Since they moved up to A321 for the winter they're still using them. And for a few days now the DFW-MBJ route has been operated by a B757... I sense something on the horizon.
**********************************************

hummingbird wrote:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica has today confirmed that neither Jamaican Immigration or Customs officials, nor any security personnel retained by the Government of Jamaica conducted a search on a Trinidadian Minister of Government at the Norman Manley International Airport.
The Ministry was responding to media reports of an incident in which the Hon. Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago was searched, immediately prior to boarding an international flight on Friday, June 2, 2017.  The reports allege that the search was conducted by Jamaican immigration authorities notwithstanding their having been aware of the Minister’s official status.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, in speaking on the matter said “Our initial enquiries indicate that a search took place, but that it was conducted by a private security company retained by the international airline on which the Minister and her delegation were travelling.  Furthermore, we are advised that such searches are generally undertaken by the airline under international conventions, and are based on random computer selection for additional security screening.”

http://jis.gov.jm/trinidadian-minister- ... thorities/

How quickly and easily people wish to stir contention. Given that we have many diplomatic dignitaries passing through the island ever so often, this here want t show that we don't know how to process them... As if!!
**************************************************

hummingbird wrote:

Bartlett said that as a result of a targeted focus on Western Europe and driving increased arrivals from there, weekly charter flights between Spain, Portugal, and Jamaica will also begin this month.
"Those flights are sold by the Barcelo Group under their tour operator brands. The Portugal flights will be operated by Orbest from June 9 to September 29 and goes out of their capital city Lisbon, with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers, representing above 6,000 new seats.
"Meanwhile, the Spain flights will be operated by Evelop non-stop out of their capital city, Madrid, into Montego Bay from June 25 to October 28 with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers, representing over 8,000 new seats," added Bartlett.
He said he is also looking forward to one of Europe's leading airlines, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, coming to the island with a twice-weekly scheduled service between Germany's largest populated metropolitan region (Bonn/Cologne) and Montego Bay, beginning July 3.
This should represent some 33,000 new seats over the period of a year. The new scheduled service will complement weekly charter services operated by German air carrier Condor from the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich into Montego Bay

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news ... ting-today

I am so ready to receive Orbest this coming Friday. In fact, I requested a half day from a little over a month ago... Lol. I wonder, though, if they could get Air Berlin to come on-board more regularly and join Condor & Eurowings, the latter already solidify plans to increase service. Just imagine having the 3 main German cities with regular service - Frankfurt, Cologne and with AB it would add Dusseldorf.

dominicl316 wrote:

Scores of Jamaicans have been left stranded in Curacao since March, when Dutch Caribbean carrier InselAir, which serves as the country's national airline, suspended its services to several destinations, including Kingston.
Jamaicans who want to visit family and friends in Curacao have also found themselves in trouble to get to that country as they need to transit through the United States and need a US visa to do so.
InselAir, on its official website, blamed the grounding of portion of its fleet as the reason behind the suspension, and listed Barquisimeto, Caracas, Georgetown, Haiti, Havana, and Kingston among the destinations affected.
The airline said service to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and St Maarten would remain in place and regular service should resume later this month. An exact date is not stated.
The airline usually charges between J$30,000 and J$40,000 for a flight from Kingston to Curacao.

The article fails to mention that PAWA will be serving KIN-SDQ soon (no date announced). The flight will allow for connections to CUR, BON, AUA, and other destinations. If all proceeds according to plan, the dilemma of the Jamaicans stuck in Curacao should be over soon. Also, keep in mind that Jamaica PM Holness recently visited SDQ and direct flights (presumably on PAWA) were part of the talks between the Jamaica and Dominican Republic governments.

Well, there has only been a proposal; not yet a confirmation so omitting them makes sense.

Rmjhjr wrote:

On yeah... They both were there with WN occupying BW's usual spot. I consider it a portent of their future expansion plans when they plan to add gates

hummingbird wrote:

The rate at which they are growing, they need to add gates soon.

Yes they do need additional gates soon. And to think that many JM aircraft were in the mix as well before their closure. Can just imagine how busy that kept the various workers down there.

hummingbird wrote:

The B763 is still in MEX. With the plans to launch Air Guyana, it should return with an updated livery.

Not expecting anything spectacular, but I am still very eager to see that livery.

hummingbird wrote:

Scores of Jamaicans have been left stranded in Curacao since March, when Dutch Caribbean carrier InselAir, which serves as the country's national airline, suspended its services to several destinations, including Kingston.

For those folks who don't have a US visa, an alternative could be CM CUR-PTY-KIN & vice-versa. The only issue is that due to the flight schedules, an overnight stay in Panama would be required.


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Well MBJ will receive a 100 million dollar upgrade. This phase includes runway extention etc.

"That includes improving infrastructure on the ramp site such as the apron and taxiway, but also, he noted, “we're doing runway extension, the terminal extension, renovation of the commercial facilities and many other things, including very important works with immigration to ensure that the experience entering Jamaica is as smooth as possible."


http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestne ... ofile=1228


Eager to see the end result. That section of the terminal which house gates 1, 2 & 3 really need to be redesigned. It screams "OUTDATED". Pale lighting, extremely low ceiling, dirty stained windows etc. It is a real eye-sore. When I was flying to MCO in February 2015 on WN, gate 2 was used. That section of the terminal building gots to go!

Right now the best way to travel KIN CUR with no US visa is to use PAWA to SDQ and continue on Inter Carib via PLS to KIN. A long day for sure, but at least it doesn't need an overnight. The CM flights to CUR and KIN don't connect with each other.

On the return its the same way, or a faster way is to use BW to SXM and then connect on Inselair. But that doesn't work on the inbound to KIN.

“We have had noteworthy success in our efforts to secure new airlifts. There will be weekly charter flights from Spain and Portugal to Jamaica, beginning next month,” he added.
The Portugal flights, the Minister said, will be operated by Orbest from June 9 to September 29 out of the capital city, Lisbon, using a 388-seat Airbus 330.
Flights from Spain, he noted, will be operated by Evelop, non-stop out of Madrid into Montego Bay, from June 4 to October 28, also using a 388-passenger Airbus 330.
“In addition,  one of Europe’s leading airlines, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, will be operating twice-weekly scheduled service between Germany’s largest populated metropolitan region, Bonn/Cologne, and Montego Bay, beginning July 3 this year,” the Minister said.
Mr. Bartlett said the Ministry and its agencies are working diligently to provide a product and a service “that both meet and exceed the expectations of our visitors as well as our important tourism partners”.

http://jis.gov.jm/tourism-minister-says ... -industry/

******************************************************

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica shares an invaluable partnership with Southwest Airlines, which has the potential to make the island the Caribbean’s leading destination.
Addressing a welcome reception on June 4 for Southwest Airline’s inaugural non-stop flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, into Montego Bay, Mr. Bartlett said with Southwest having more gateways inside the United States than any other carrier, Jamaica stands to benefit tremendously as it relates to connectivity and airlifts.
“We welcome the thousands of additional seats and increased connectivity that will result from this new route from Fort Lauderdale, as we seek to achieve our goal of attracting five million visitors by 2021,” the Minister told the gathering at the Sangster International Airport.
“At the same time, it marks the strengthening of the partnership between Jamaica and America’s largest low-cost carrier, which began in July 2014 with Southwest’s inaugural flight from
Baltimore/Washington International Airport to Sangster International Airport,” he added.
Mr. Bartlett said the partnership with Southwest has been growing, noting that in addition to Fort Lauderdale, the airline has other flights from Houston, Baltimore and Orlando into Jamaica

http://jis.gov.jm/tourism-minister-high ... -airlines/

**************************************

They recently acquired another A320.

Airbus A320 -231
 ZS-GAR
 Sunrise Airways
 delivery 06-07jun17 JNB-ABJ-PAP, ops by Global Airways
 ex N621AW

TP: What are your most popular flights/routes?
RR: Our service from Port-au-Prince to Cuba and Santo Domingo has become essential to corporate movers and shakers in the Western Caribbean, uniting three primary regional business centers — Havana, Port-au-Prince, and Santo Domingo — like never before. Adding Kingston (Jamaica) to the mix, as we hope to do in the future, will further spur the growth of commerce in the region, while also creating exciting new opportunities for leisure travel to the Caribbean’s great centers of history, theater, culture and nightlife.

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/people/ ... wings.html

********************************

This is how you plan an inaugural flight. Great job by JTB.

It was a rainy Sunday morning where it was very evident that there were special happenings going on Terminal 1 Concourse B. The first new service of the day was not an international service but a connection between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, on the special “Florida One” aircraft.
However, the inaugural international flights all had different festivities going on at their assigned departure gates and as all the flights were due to depart within approximately 75 minutes of each other, the terminal was abuzz with different festivities.

https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/new-for ... -services/

*********************************
 B6 JFK-KIN NOV 1.6>1.8 DEC 3>2 JAN 1.8>1.6
B6 JFK-MBJ NOV 2>1.8
B6 MCO-MBJ JAN 1.0>0.9
UA EWR-MBJ NOV 1.0>1.2
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1364963
***********************************

airjamaica wrote:

Yes they do need additional gates soon. And to think that many JM aircraft were in the mix as well before their closure. Can just imagine how busy that kept the various workers down there.

Prior to the opening of the new terminal, they had extra parking spots that extended beyond the old Gate 11. It was no fun as you had to walk down a poorly ventilated humid terminal. Then another 5-7 mins walk across the hot tarmac.

airjamaica wrote:

Not expecting anything spectacular, but I am still very eager to see that livery.

Same here!

airjamaica wrote:

For those folks who don't have a US visa, an alternative could be CM CUR-PTY-KIN & vice-versa. The only issue is that due to the flight schedules, an overnight stay in Panama would be required.

That's a long detour.

Rmjhjr wrote:

Well as far as this growth is concerned I can definitely see it happen and surpassing expectations. It's really something else to see that a period like now which years ago appeared to be slow still see multiple flights frm the likes of DAL and AA with up to 10 flights from either on a given day. And too, AA has not resorted to using the A320s on the Charlotte and Philadelphia routes. Since they moved up to A321 for the winter they're still using them. And for a few days now the DFW-MBJ route has been operated by a B757... I sense something on the horizon.

Will also likely see a DL B752 out of JFK.

Rmjhjr wrote:

I am so ready to receive Orbest this coming Friday. In fact, I requested a half day from a little over a month ago... Lol. I wonder, though, if they could get Air Berlin to come on-board more regularly and join Condor & Eurowings, the latter already solidify plans to increase service. Just imagine having the 3 main German cities with regular service - Frankfurt, Cologne and with AB it would add Dusseldorf.

Would be a treat.

dominicl316 wrote:

The article fails to mention that PAWA will be serving KIN-SDQ soon (no date announced). The flight will allow for connections to CUR, BON, AUA, and other destinations. If all proceeds according to plan, the dilemma of the Jamaicans stuck in Curacao should be over soon. Also, keep in mind that Jamaica PM Holness recently visited SDQ and direct flights (presumably on PAWA) were part of the talks between the Jamaica and Dominican Republic governments.

I was reliably informed that KIN will be served with their CRJ aircraft.


MBJ Shots.














http://curacaochronicle.com/aviation/fl ... d-curacao/