AIR JAMAICA
EXPRESS will suspend operations Oct. 14, due to record
increases in fuel and other operational costs, ongoing turbulence
in the aviation industry and a review of market conditions, which
signaled diminishing returns, according to a statement released by
the carrier. Prevailing market conditions point to diminishing
prospects for the viable operation of the airline, said Leo
Lambert, group communications director, Sandals and Beaches
Resorts. Gordon Butch Stewart, chairman of Sandals and Beaches, has
been the carriers major shareholder since last December. Prior to
that, Air Jamaica Express had been managed by Air Jamaica, which
had been controlled by Stewarts AJAG Group. AJAGs pullout from Air
Jamaica put that carrier back into the control of the government,
leaving Air Jamaica Express under the control of Stewarts ATL
Group. Air Jamaica Express connected Jamaicas airports in Montego
Bay, Kingston and Ocho Rios and also served the Bahamas, the Cayman
Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos,
using 37-seat Dash 8-100 aircraft. Lambert, however, did leave open
the possibility of new things to emerge, hinting that the
suspension could be just that -- a temporary stoppage in service
while the situation is under review. He declined to elaborate
further.
TAKEOFFS
"
BWIA moved to electronic ticketing Sept. 15, as
the first step towards the carriers meeting IATAs mandate for the
industry standard of a paperless ticket environment by 2007.
E-ticketing is now available throughout the BWIA network except in
Manchester, England, and in Suriname, both of which will follow
shortly.
" Continental
Airlines will launch two weekly flights from Houston to
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Dec. 16. The new route will
complement Continentals existing nonstop flights to Punta Cana from
Newark. The flights will depart Houston (Bush) on Fridays and
Saturdays at 1:30 p.m., arriving in Punta Cana at 7:35 p.m. The
return flights will leave Punta Cana on Saturdays and Sundays at
9:10 a.m., arriving in Houston at noon.
THE REGIONAL
GEORGE F. L. CHARLES AIRPORT in the northern part of St.
Lucia will be closed from Sept. 27 through Oct. 4 while repair and
rehab improvements take place. The closure is the second phase of a
72-day project of improvements that began Aug. 22. During the
closure, all aircraft will be diverted to the island's main
Hewanorra International Airport, an hour and 20 minutes south of
Castries. Charles Airport is primarily served by inter-island
flights, including American Eagle aircraft from San Juan. For
information, call George F. L. Charles Airport at (758) 452-1156 or
Hewanorra International Airport at (758) 454-6355.
LE MERIDIEN
HOTELS & RESORTS will manage a 200-room hotel in
Barbados as part of a new luxury waterfront development at the
Pierhead in Bridgetown. Expected to open in 2010, the five-star
hotel will be part of a mixed development project, which also will
include 200 apartments, a 150-berth marina, shopping outlets and a
maritime museum. Le Meridien Barbados will offer banquet
facilities; a marina restaurant; a pool with a beachside terrace
and bar; a health and fitness club; and a rooftop bar. For more
information, visit www.lemeridien.com.