KINGSTON,Jamaica, Feb. 19, CMC – Three years after the launch of the domestic airline, Jamaica Air Shuttle, operations ground to a halt on Monday resulting in the dismissal of 25 employees.
“Effective Monday, February 18, 2013 we will have to suspend flight operations while we renegotiate a sustainable operating model that will assure the Company of the viability sufficient to continue to provide the level of safe, reliable, punctual and courteous service that you have come to expect and deserve” said Managing Director, Christopher Read in a statement on the airline’s Facebook page.
“We ask for your understanding and patience in this troubling and challenging period in which we will remain true to our guiding principles of safety, customer satisfaction and economic sustainability, which will guide us through this process,” he added
Read said he expects that a resolution to the challenges will be worked out in the weeks ahead and the airline will resume operations in the shortest possible time.
The latest developments at Jamaica Air Shuttle follows the recent addition of a fourth weekly flight between Kingston and Port au Prince, Haiti.
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority is monitoring the situation at Jamaica Air Shuttle.
“We are aware of the suspension of the operation and we are monitoring the situation to see if they will be able to put themselves in a position to maintain the operation. We keeping in close contact with the operator,” said Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Darby, Director-General of the Authority.