Jamaica gives REDjet the clear

Monday, July 18, 2011

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) Jamaica has followed Trinidad and Tobago in granting clearance to the Barbados-based low-cost carrier, REDjet, to begin operations into that country.

The two countries had earlier expressed safety reservations over the region's first low-cost budget carrier.

Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry said that the approval followed a series of meetings involving regulatory authorities late last week.

"In continuous discussions with the (Jamaica) Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday and Friday, and ultimately, the chairman, they advise me that all the safety issues, we can give REDjet to fly Jamaica to Barbados and we have issued instructions (for that) to be carried," Henry said.

"The board will meet and send whatever it is through with the policy officers to me," he added.

REDJet had planned to start flying to Jamaica on May 8, soon after it was launched. However, it encountered obstacles ranging from broken promises of forthcoming approval, alleged concerns about safety, to the authorities admittedly trying to protect the interest of Caribbean Airlines (CAL) which has taken over the state-owned Air Jamaica.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a brief statement issued by Transport Minister Devant Maharaj said that the "government is pleased to announce that the court action brought by the operators of Airone Limited, trading as Redjet, commercial air services, against the Civil Aviation Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Amral Mohammed, in his capacity as Chairman of the Air Transport Licensing Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has been settled on terms which are mutually acceptable to all parties".

He said that the terms of the settlement would remain private between the parties.

REDjet is expected to hold a news conference this week to officially make Port of Spain its third destination after Barbados and Guyana.

The St Kitts and Nevis government has already indicated that authorities in Basseterre would be holding talks with the airline with a view to servicing that route.