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Air Jamaica needs a revolution
Published: Tuesday | October 20, 2009
Doreen Forbes, Contributor
Having been established in October 1968, (becoming operational in 1969) Air Jamaica should be celebrating its 41st anniversary this month. We doubt, however, that it can afford the birthday party that it ought to be celebrating with its Jamaican family.
Better yet, Air Jamaica, with an enviable record, has provided over 40 years of accident-free and sterling service to the nation and to all Jamaicans and their guests, so probably the time has come, for the people of Jamaica, to celebrate Air Jamaica with the reward of a lifeline, and since life supposedly begins at 40, it would be appropriate at this time for Jamaica to come to the rescue of our ailing national treasure.
It is time for a new beginning and a paradigm shift from the way successive administrations and managers have chosen to present the airline and its future.
There have been several attempts to divest the airline and to remove its 'burden' from the account of the Government. This move is seen as necessary by many, but others believe that, it is not what is done but how it is done. Do we really need to sell the birthright of our children, the legacy of our forefathers to strangers? Or can we think of other creative ways to divest Air J to ourselves and retain our inheritance?
The reasoning might seem simplistic to some but I would like to suggest a basic concept for the retention of Air Jamaica.
Aggressive revolutionary
1. We need an aggressive revolutionary and focused strategy and appeal, which will open up the prospect of ownership and the capitalisation of the entity to all Jamaicans as private shareholders. This approach would launch a 'Save Jamaica Campaign' of which Air Jamaica would be first beneficiary. The PR and marketing for this exercise must ensure the grass roots, middle and upper classes and the diaspora can participate in an atmosphere where red tapes and formalities will not be tolerated, yet security and accountability will be paramount.
2. Air Jamaica will own the current assets, names and banner which will be vested in the people, for the people and Air Jamaica will operate solely as managers of the airline and its goodwill, with specific responsibility relating to policy guidelines and standards, coordination of routes, joint advertising and marketing, securing and managing of gateways and facilitating franchise of routes.
3. All routes will be packaged and franchised under the Air Jamaica banner to selected parties who would assume responsibilities for operation and maintenance, joint advertising and marketing.
Tax holiday
4. Government must freeze its involvement, seek to absorb its liability and provide a tax holiday ( to be decided) to the new Air Jamaica and its shareholders. Debt to other suppliers and current stakeholders will be subject to negotiations; however, the new airline should restrict its assumptions to marginal limits of exposure.
As can be appreciated, there are far more details and blanks to be filled in a more comprehensive plan, however the idea is for the airlines to have broad-based national ownership with Air Jamaica operating strictly as a management company and the operation and maintenance vested in other airline operatives under franchise from Air Jamaica. The Government would need to remove itself, except for a seat on the new management board (as observer) and provide incentives for the bird to grow.
The new approach can in no way signify business as usual, but must demonstrate the will to clean house and make service, initiative, cost control and profit the driving force and hallmark of a company whose life begins at 40 and which recognises and respects the value of the nickels and dimes and dollars and cents, which was used to breathe new life and vigour for survival in the entity.
Doreen Forbes is a former councillor, Balcarres division, West Portland
Published: Tuesday | October 20, 2009
Doreen Forbes, Contributor
Having been established in October 1968, (becoming operational in 1969) Air Jamaica should be celebrating its 41st anniversary this month. We doubt, however, that it can afford the birthday party that it ought to be celebrating with its Jamaican family.
Better yet, Air Jamaica, with an enviable record, has provided over 40 years of accident-free and sterling service to the nation and to all Jamaicans and their guests, so probably the time has come, for the people of Jamaica, to celebrate Air Jamaica with the reward of a lifeline, and since life supposedly begins at 40, it would be appropriate at this time for Jamaica to come to the rescue of our ailing national treasure.
It is time for a new beginning and a paradigm shift from the way successive administrations and managers have chosen to present the airline and its future.
There have been several attempts to divest the airline and to remove its 'burden' from the account of the Government. This move is seen as necessary by many, but others believe that, it is not what is done but how it is done. Do we really need to sell the birthright of our children, the legacy of our forefathers to strangers? Or can we think of other creative ways to divest Air J to ourselves and retain our inheritance?
The reasoning might seem simplistic to some but I would like to suggest a basic concept for the retention of Air Jamaica.
Aggressive revolutionary
1. We need an aggressive revolutionary and focused strategy and appeal, which will open up the prospect of ownership and the capitalisation of the entity to all Jamaicans as private shareholders. This approach would launch a 'Save Jamaica Campaign' of which Air Jamaica would be first beneficiary. The PR and marketing for this exercise must ensure the grass roots, middle and upper classes and the diaspora can participate in an atmosphere where red tapes and formalities will not be tolerated, yet security and accountability will be paramount.
2. Air Jamaica will own the current assets, names and banner which will be vested in the people, for the people and Air Jamaica will operate solely as managers of the airline and its goodwill, with specific responsibility relating to policy guidelines and standards, coordination of routes, joint advertising and marketing, securing and managing of gateways and facilitating franchise of routes.
3. All routes will be packaged and franchised under the Air Jamaica banner to selected parties who would assume responsibilities for operation and maintenance, joint advertising and marketing.
Tax holiday
4. Government must freeze its involvement, seek to absorb its liability and provide a tax holiday ( to be decided) to the new Air Jamaica and its shareholders. Debt to other suppliers and current stakeholders will be subject to negotiations; however, the new airline should restrict its assumptions to marginal limits of exposure.
As can be appreciated, there are far more details and blanks to be filled in a more comprehensive plan, however the idea is for the airlines to have broad-based national ownership with Air Jamaica operating strictly as a management company and the operation and maintenance vested in other airline operatives under franchise from Air Jamaica. The Government would need to remove itself, except for a seat on the new management board (as observer) and provide incentives for the bird to grow.
The new approach can in no way signify business as usual, but must demonstrate the will to clean house and make service, initiative, cost control and profit the driving force and hallmark of a company whose life begins at 40 and which recognises and respects the value of the nickels and dimes and dollars and cents, which was used to breathe new life and vigour for survival in the entity.
Doreen Forbes is a former councillor, Balcarres division, West Portland
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