PRESIDENT and chief executive officer of national carrier Air Jamaica, Bruce Nobles, has expressed confidence that the struggling 40-year-old airline will come through the current crisis a “stronger and more viable” entity.

“These are difficult times for Air Jamaica. Times are changing, we must learn from our past. I expect Air Jamaica to emerge from this very difficult time, stronger and more viable. I believe our best times are yet to come,” Nobles said yesterday at a church service to mark the Airline’s 40th Anniversary at Fellowship Tabernacle in Kingston.

The airline, which has already missed one reprivatisation deadline originally set for March 31st, 2009, is now to be sold in June. The Government, prompted by the airline’s losses of over US$150 million (J$13.2 billion) per annum, has been seeking financial partners. A meeting has been scheduled for mid-April with an international airline group from which the Privatisation Committee has already received an indicative offer for Air Jamaica.

In the meantime, minister without portfolio in the finance ministry with responsibility for Air Jamaica, Senator Don Wehby, said charting the airline’s future had been a difficult decision-making process and implored the congregation to pray that the right partners would be found for the airline.

“I have had to take tough decisions as it relates to the airline… coming out of the choices we have said it takes cash to care and the choice we have made is to find a partner that has capital and experience,” Wehby said.

It is, however, at this time uncertain how much Wehby will have to do with the finalisation of the divestment of the carrier as indications are that he will be heading back to the private sector when his two-year commitment with the Government ends.

Wehby resigned his senior executive position at GraceKennedy to serve in the new Cabinet following the 2007 general elections in which the Jamaica Labour Party wrested power from the People’s National Party and was given the responsibility of divesting Air Jamaica by March 31.

Speaking with the Observer after yesterday’s church service, Wehby – who declined to give details on his pending departure – indicated that it might not be the end of the road for his involvement with Air Jamaica.

“I am not saying I am not going to be around.

Hopefully, even if I leave, I will be able to contribute in the future, so we will see. It all depends on the prime minister,” he told the Observer.

“We have a good structure in place in terms of the divestment committee so it’s not dependent on me alone, what a good thing,” he added.

Yesterday, pastor of Fellowship Tabernacle Reverend Al Miller urged the airline’s executives to sit tight until they locate the “right partner.”

“We are praying for the right connections. It’s been 40 years and it’s been a rough flight, but when you are on a rough flight that’s not the time to hop off, that’s the time you fasten your seatbelt and ride it out,” Miller said.

Noting that 40 years in biblical terminology signified the end of an era, Miller said the airline was poised to “make a fresh start” and learn from the lessons of the past 40 years which have been at “great cost and significant loss”.