Air Jamaica’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Conway says he expects the airline to do substantially better during the coming winter season than it did this summer.

“We expect this holiday season will be substantially better than the summer period, because we do expect our spare levels to be up to where we do not expect that we will have the cancellation issue we have had over the last few months,” Conway told a select committee of Parliament probing the airline’s viability.

He was responding to questions from Opposition member of the select committee and spokesman on energy Clive Mullings, as the committee met at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Heroes Circle, on Wednesday.

Asked to say why the airline experienced a spate of cancellations during the summer, Conway said that the “biggest single reason” was the carrier’s current inability to estimate when airplanes which have been sent out for maintenance will return to the fleet.

“Bearing in mind that most passengers buy their tickets, say, 60 days in advance, when you send an airplane out, what you do know is the date you are sending the airplane to do a major check, and in some cases we send it to Bordeaux, France or Hamburg in Germany. What you don’t know is the day it is coming back,” Conway said.

Asked by Mullings to explain the reasons for that, the CEO said that there were a number of issues involved when the major checks are being done. One of which was the amount of extra time needed to address corrosion issues and making sure all the problems are taken care of before the aircraft is put back into service.

“So when you send an airplane out, you are already selling tickets based on when you think it is going to return,” said Conway. “If that airplane does not come back on that day, then you are short an airplane and that’s what triggers some of the cancellations. When you have one or two of those situations occurring at the same time, you are not only operating without a spare aircraft, in fact, you are one aircraft down.”

“We will not dispatch an airplane, under any circumstances, unless that airplane is 100 per cent safe and efficient in our view,” he insisted.

But, in response to Government member of the committee, Dr Morais Guy, Conway admitted that the loyalty factor was one of the main hopes for Air Jamaica’s recovery.

“As an airline, we are blessed with a loyalty factor that is the envy of most airlines in the world,” said Conway. “That does not mean that we haven’t lost some customers, but I will tell you that the loyalty factor is still extremely high.”

Dalley says he visits go go clubs as part of HIV/AIDS fight

Health Minister Horace Dalley last week admitted to his parliamentary colleagues that he engaged in the nocturnal habit of watching exotic dancers at go go clubs, but said he did so as part of his effort to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“I am not against exotic dancers,” Dalley said in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. “I have gone to Platinum on more than one occasion. I have been to Taboo on more than one occasion, because I can tell you, in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”

Platinum, which is located on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, became popular with mostly upper St Andrew men because of its stable of Russian female dancers. Taboo, which is now closed, also drew large crowds with its mix of Russian, Ukranian and Jamaican dancers.

Dalley, who was speaking in the debate on the bill titled Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Suppression and Punishment) Act, which will implement provisions to prevent and suppress, as well as punish persons involved in human trafficking, was responding to Opposition criticisms that the Government had overlooked the expansion of red light strips and go-go clubs.

According Opposition spokesman on national security, Derrick Smith, the activities were a factor in the threat of human trafficking in Jamaica.

The dancers, Dalley noted, were performing work in Jamaica. “So if you know the law, once you come to Jamaica to work you are recruited by a company, for example Platinum or Taboo or any of these clubs that have dancing as part of their menu,” Dalley said.

“And I don’t want you to be hypocritical, because I have seen many of you there,” he said to his colleagues, triggering laughter. “I go there. I am not hiding the fact that I have been there. I am not hiding it because I am not a hypocrite.”

The exotic dancers, he said, “are a very integral part of Jamaica’s fight against HIV/AIDS, and they participate in that programme”.

Senate approves Public Gardens Bill

The Public Gardens Regulations Bill, which aims to repeal and replace the 1899 Act to make new provisions in relation to the administration and operation of public gardens and zoos, was passed in the Senate on Friday.

Attorney-General Senator AJ Nicholson, who piloted the Bill, said that over the years there has been a decline in how the nation treated national treasures, “and it has now become necessary to make provisions to monitor the use of and the maintenance of these public gardens”.

Leader of opposition business, Senator Anthony Johnson, called for more such parks and gardens and appealed to teachers to imbue in their students a love for nature and the beauty of the parks and gardens.

He congratulated the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation for restoring the beauty of Manchester Square near Heroes Park, as well as the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica for work on Holruth Park in St Andrew.

Government member, Senator Norman Grant, who is also president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), paid tribute to the Ministry of Agriculture for the approach it has been taking to preserving public spaces.

He said that there is a need to protect the public spaces and suggested that, for example, Fern Gully should be given additional protection.

He said that the long-term arrangement for Hope Gardens, through the Nature Preservation Foundation which is spearheading the restoration, was a model of public/private sector co-operation which should be introduced at all the gardens.

The Bill provides for:

. the appointment of a public officer as a superintendent of public gardens and other officers who will be responsible for the proper administration and operation of the public gardens;

. the protection and conservation of public gardens; and

. penalties for offences under the Act.

The Bill increases maximum fines from $10 to $250,000. Specific offences are now created to deal with situations such as the destruction of trees, flowerbeds or shrubs or unauthorised acts such as picking fruits, plants or flowers or selling goods [in the parks].

The Act also deals with seizure and impounding. A constable or police officer stationed at a public garden may seize any stray animal trespassing thereon and, with all reasonable dispatch, and not later than 48 hours after such seizure, transport the animal to the nearest pound.

Unlawful destruction of park property, including injury to zoo animals, will attract conviction in a Resident Magistrate’s Court for a fine not exceeding $250,000 or a maximum of three months’ imprisonment.

The Bill also provides that, “any constable stationed in a public garden or zoo may take into custody without any warrant, any person who in the public garden and in the view of such constable, acts in contravention of this act or any regulations made thereunder”.

The Bill was piloted through the House of Representatives on November 21 by minister of agriculture, Roger Clarke.

Minister Clarke said then that there would be a no-nonsense approach towards the enforcement of the regulations, and people were expected to co-operate with the police who will be placed in the parks.

Any person, who when required by a constable to give his name and address, gives a false name and a false address, commits an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment not exceeding three months.

The Bill allows for the establishment of a post of Superintendent of Gardens who will have the right to delegate or assign his functions under the Act and designate any area within a public garden for specific activities.

It will become necessary to obtain the written permission from the superintendent to reside, camp, erect huts or booths (whether fixed or movable) on or reap fruits from public parks.

Failing to do so, the offender is liable to serve three months in prison or pay a maximum fine of $250,000 in a RM Court.