Caribbean Airlines, the state-owned carrier of Trinidad and Tobago, assumed the reins of cash-strapped Air Jamaica on May 1.
Caribbean Airlines has taken over Air Jamaica's seven routes and 1,000 employees.
During a transition period, which is expected to take between six and 12 months, the company will be called Caribbean Airlines Air Jamaica Transition Ltd.
Air Jamaica’s fleet will retain its logo during the transition.
Air Jamaica employees were set to receive their final paychecks, letters of termination and severance packages on April 30, according to Air Jamaica Chairman Dennis Lalor.
The employees then were to be rehired by Caribbean Airlines. If vacancies occurred, the jobs would be offered to the 500 Air Jamaica staff who were laid off when Air Jamaica trimmed its routes to Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami in February 2009.
Air Jamaica will keep its equipment and offices at airports in Jamaica, and the government will retain a 16% share in Caribbean Airlines, Lalor said.
Caribbean Airlines will fly Air Jamaica’s 140 weekly flights between Montego Bay and Kingston to Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, New York Kennedy, Philadelphia and Toronto.
Lalor said tickets issued by Air Jamaica before May 1 will be honored, as will frequent-flyer miles.
The government’s long trek toward divestment began in March 2008, by which time Air Jamaica had accumulated a $1.54 billion deficit during its 42-year history.