Tensions in Caribbean aviation are heating up as issues have taken on a political dimension, with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding going public last weekend, sending a stern warning to sister CARICOM state Barbados that his administration would not be bullied into any decision regarding the current REDjet impasse.
Barbados-based low-fare airline (LFA) REDjet is facing serious hurdles in getting permission to operate services into and out of Jamaica as well as Trinidad and Tobago. As a matter of fact, the issue has become so grave that the fledgling airline was forced to lay off staff.
The issue escalated when authorities in Bridgetown reportedly kept a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) jet on the ground at Grantley Adams airport.
Although no reasons were given at the time of the incident, CAL’s corporate communications boss Laura Asbjornsen said the reason given to the airline’s management about the delay was “an aircraft audit”.
This action was perceived by Golding as an attempt to put pressure on his government to accelerate the process that would allow REDjet, named by Barbados as its national carrier, to operate direct jet services between Barbados and Jamaica.
“Let me put it firmly. That is not the way any government will be able to get any government I lead to respond,” he said.
More than likely, Golding has taken his position in the matter after members from both sides of the House of Assembly in Bridgetown came out in support of the start-up airline. But the issue is more complicated.
The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), headed by its director general Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby, claimed it had requested further information from Barbadian authorities relative to REDjet’s application.
Up until May 26, when the CAL/Air Jamaica deal that gives CAL total control of Air Jamaica was signed, JCAA said the delay in giving REDjet the green light to operate services to Jamaica was that it was waiting for the CAL/Air Jamaica deal to be finalized.
Informed aviation sources interpreting Derby’s statement feel that the “certain aspect” was clearly the ownership and control issue – whether or not the LFA is owned by Barbadian or CARICOM nationals. Under the CARICOM Master Air Services Agreement, to which Jamaica is not a party, ownership by regional “legal residents” qualifies, but not under the individual bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASAs) which are based on citizenship – bilateral ASAs supersede the CARICOM Master ASA even though it is the more recent agreement.
There is also an issue of distrust in the matter since the information being requested by both countries’ aviation authorities tends to question the efficacy of Barbadian Civil Aviation authorities.
Another dimension is the relationship with the United States: should Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica deny REDjet permission to operate in these two countries, they might themselves be hard pressed to justify the exemption they have to secure from the United States “national” ownership to permit CAL to operate from anywhere other than Trinidad and Tobago into the United States.
• Vernon Khelawan is a Trinidadian commentator.