I am writing this from Canada, where making an adjustment in lifestyle is not an easy task. No-smoking zones are respected and people speak quietly not wishing to disturb nearby patrons. There is order on the roads and highways, which makes me long for a visitors’ study programme for our public transportation operators. This is significant to me as the lack of road rage, bad driving, cussing and threats has caused my blood pressure to go down to a level where medication can be discontinued.

But all is not what it may seem in Canadian “paradise”. I still detect a sense of repressed racism, not only from White Canadians, but among the major immigrant groups, mainly West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians, Vietnamese, and Chinese. It is sometimes a situation that is a result of “huddling” in a social and living environment which seems to encourage ethnic townships, leading eventually to turf- and gang-related activities. This is, of course, among the young people who cannot remember the conditions and hardship that brought their parents and grandparents to this relatively under- populated country. However, strictly enforced laws keep this very much under the carpet, and discrimination based on race, religion and sexual preferences are not tolerated. There lies a message for our popular entertainers.

The hopes of true rewards for entrepreneurial ventures in the less populated areas were dashed by the pull of sure employment but lower wages in the Toronto suburban life. Legislation against racism facilitated immigrants entering the government agencies, especially those with good English skills, so West Indians landed those jobs. The other immigrants were not as lucky, and were forced towards entrepreneurial ventures. They now command much of the retail trade.

Cities like Vancouver are now modern Chinese towns with control in the hands of that ethnic grouping. Mandarin and Cantonese are the more common languages, with English a poor third — French doesn’t even count. So much for the Federal Government. This is an annexed city, much the same as how Montreal and Quebec have historically been commanded by the French Canadians. It demonstrates their ability to control profitable ventures, entire industries, and local politics, by working together for a common good. The West Indians have not found the necessary will to enable them to work together — a behaviour which should have been left at home, even as we transform from “islands to continent”. Sovereignty as practised at home has no place here.

I landed in Toronto on Good Friday aboard Air Jamaica, and the superb landing executed by Capt Miguel Acevedo received a spontaneous but unanimous and appreciative round of applause from the passengers. It also brought tears to my eyes as I remembered September 1970, when I experienced a similar situation as I arrived in Toronto as an 18-year-old, on my way to what was to be four wonderful years at McMaster University. Since that day I have never failed to give thanks for Air Jamaica for my 40 years of safety with them in the past.

Although I am not a supporter of public subsidy for Air Jamaica, my views are based on a number of business factors. Firstly, in a country of widespread tax non-compliance, only a few face the debts of the many that includes those persons who can afford their share. Secondly, of the many “freeloaders” there is not one who seemed interested in an investment related to the airline. Therefore, their expectation of a convenient joyride needs to come to an end. Responsible government in difficult times cannot give in to selfishness, discrimatory governance, pandering to interest groups to assure re-election, or fiscally imprudent measures. Any government that continues these detrimental actions would be practically committing suicide in the face of international pressures to responsibly honour its debt agreements.

That, however, should not preclude it from getting the best price or other non-cash deals from the sale. Contrary to older thinking, the value does not rest in the depreciated assets, or the leased equipment. Value lies in goodwill and the human factor – well-trained and competent staff who operate the public services of the airline. There is a value to be attached by having well-trained pilots and flight staff with an enviable safety record. The ground staff is exceptionally trained and has high tolerance in handling fellow Jamaicans of all descriptions, and disgruntled international travellers. We can laugh happily at the sight and sound of a large “informal commercial trader” telling a director of cargo who was doing his best to get her very large box cleared for her: “Hey, Porta bwoy, tek time with me tings, yuh nuh see FRAGGLE mark pan it?”

The value has not been in tourism alone. Air Jamaica exposed Jamaican brands and products to a growing number of international travellers who fell in love with being part of the Jamaican lifestyle. Grace juices, Red Stripe, Appleton, Ting, rum cream, and jerk come to mind and, along with ackee and salt fish and bammy, are only a few. So too, has Sandals and SuperClubs. Tourism attractions and the stories in the Skywritings magazine have enhanced local allure and profit. An accounting of these should be valued either in the price, future value proposition, or the epitaph of this courageous struggle against the odds of mediocre service, currently handed out to us by larger, cruder, and less responsible carriers, which will now be our only option. Perhaps there is a whole new service innovation which would place our staff on the wish list of other airlines, in much the same way that hospitals desire Jamaican nurses.

There are also social benefits through benchmarking, which should be important to academics and analysts. These should inform scholars of the importance of human resources to the overall value strategy of an entity. A careful study of Air Jamaica could reveal the cost of training and passing down knowledge from person to person. This could be an invaluable component of why a company which is designed for longevity needs flexibility at all levels that are much higher than short-term visions. The short-term view is able to operate within a more rigid systems environment, and therefore loses employee value by not allowing the “breaking of rules”, and stifling innovation within. I am not talking about basic moral and ethical rules, but rather limiting the valuable personal skills which are often overlooked in employment interviews. In doing this an enterprise loses valuable intellectual capital to an inappropriate strategy.

Another area is the benchmarking of how staff longevity and loyalty protect the enterprise against overall social decay. Air Jamaica and other long-term companies should provide a historical background when measured against what we now call the deterioration in Jamaica’s societal values and economic performance over a number of decades. This area of research could be an extremely important element in leading family firms past their second and third generational crises, through sustainable wealth creation, while transforming themselves to professional management where needed. It could also inform policy makers by comparing social decay to policy measures which have proven detrimental to social development.

Our political directors have used and abused this airline for selfish and personal gain, with free family flights, endless non-essential personnel travelling to most sporting locations and events, and endless promotional junkets, with little to show for our sustained development. The end is near for the selfish usage, and unfortunately for those who go on genuine sports and promotional trips, they will face much larger travel expenses — some may have to opt to compete with fewer numbers. This could spell disaster for our sports development agenda and disappoint athletes who aspire to become the next Usain or Veronica. This is one part of the already unfolding tragedy.

Over the last few weeks I have been looking at the pictures from the past of our wonderful little airline, and the people who crossed my life in making that experience a good one. There are friendships that have endured those 40 years, through all of life’s ups and downs, and which have formed an enduring spirit and an ethical code that has survived the succession of personnel that have been a part of the “little part of Jamaica that flies”. I am booked to return on the 12th, on what may be the final flight, and a chapter of my life will also close. I expect that it will be emotional for all of us who make that last journey from our respective destinations.

And so I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all those staff, past and present, who have made our pioneering spirit soar to new heights, and sustained our love for our native land and our yearning for a gentler lifestyle. Godspeed and happy landing to all of you Jamaican aeronautical pioneers.