Air Roti dropping Jamaica flights like a Hot Patty

[Karl]

Would love to hear which making money on our routes?

[Mosiah]

Well, not really. We needed to sell Air Jamaica, but we did not want it sold to the Trinis!

[Mosiah]

Dunno!

[MdmeX]

Some people did want the duppy airline to buy it (Spirit)! Me ain't flying that cattle airline

[Assasin]

we ain't flying any airline hence them empty. You hear the Jamaican dem say them nay fly Trini Airline, them forget they have 16% ownership.

We all know the amount Air J was losing money. The miracle of transfer from one govt to another wasn't going to cut put at least it is their lost, not ours.

[Reggaedoc]

You are getting carried away now Reggaedoc. Talk about CA but you can't stretch it and make a generalization like that.

Name me one are in which Trinis have excelled in marketing or public relations. Carnival?. They dont even have enough hotel rooms for what they declare as the greatest show on earth. They have one of the greatest genres of music, yet most people outside of the narrow region even heard of it. They are totally lousy when it comes to public relations and marketing.

[Don1]

Well, not really. We needed to sell Air Jamaica, but we did not want it sold to the Trinis!

ongly dat wasn't a sale...but a transfer

16% of non-tradeable stock inna Trini govt entity over which GOJ has next to zero influence = zero

[Karl]

First: Im did gi hit weh!
2nd: Nuff a wi neva want hit sell!

[Exile]

I don't think your arguments deserve an answer...really. Faulty generalizations. Weak arguments. You can do better.

[Peter R]

This writer doesn't see the need to be dropping Air Ja if the flights are full, nor to layoff experienced staff from Air Ja.

His first synopsis of what services he received for the price that he paid ( cheap) may be part of the reason for the unprofitability?? I am no expert but, my son just flew POS to Houston direct, almost six hours and he had to buy/provide his own food. We also had to pay for his checked bag $30 US , by contrast CAL gives international flights (that is, originating here to outside the Caribbean) two 50 lb bags free... while everyoe else it's either one or a charge is levied.

CAL it seems wants to be full service and yet have to compete with airlines that are charging for services. Maybe, they haven't found the right mix of perks relative to costs?? The NY , T.O. , Miami routes are usually well subscribed... as well as inter-island routes; you cannot get a flght to Tobago without booking sometimes well in advance as the writer says... and there are about 15 return flights a day... charging approximately $50 US return. The fare while very attractive might just be too low? ANyway see the man's letter here:


It was less than a week ago that I returned from a short vacation to Orlando, Florida, with my family. We travelled with Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) for several reasons:

1. It is the only airline that provided direct flights between Trinidad and Orlando

2. It was the cheapest at the time of booking

3. It was the only airline to allow passengers two 50-lb luggage allowance

4. It was the only airline to provide a complimentary meal

5. It was the only airline to provide free in-flight entertainment

more:
http://www.guardian.co.tt/business-g...l-unprofitable

[Exile]

Actually CA is not always the cheapest POS toMCO and AA is sometimes cheaper even going via MIA . My daughter just came back fr Orlando on AA and I asked why not take the direct flight on Ca - she said it was too expensive.

The 'complimentary' meal is a sandwich, usually soggy, usually tasteless...and a drink...AA gives peanuts and drink...

I have a pet beef with CA re: only 1 piece of luggage POS to KIN esp when I pay MORE than the MIA/MCO folks...one foot of my shoes weigh 50lbs...well almost...in fact, last time I got someone to email me - after complaining -that I had 2 pieces..I just whipped out the printed copy...much to their chagrin.

As for the free flight entertainment - that went out since they started to hire these wisps of women as flight attendants...

[Mosiah]

Who Will Save Caribbean Aviation?

Who Will Save Caribbean Aviation?
Published: Sunday | April 28, 2013 0 Comments

Jessop
1 2 >
David Jessop THIS WEEK IN EUROPE

Why is it that airlines in the Caribbean, unlike those in Central America, seem incapable of providing consistent, well managed and profitable air services across the region?

This matter was brought into sharp focus last month with the release of the annual financial results for COPA, the Panamanian airline that is expanding its services across the Americas out of its easy transfer hub at Panama City's Tocumen airport, and is developing a significant route network into the Caribbean.

According to financial analysts and those in the industry, the private sector owned airline is one of the most consistently profitable in the Western Hemisphere. It is listed on the North American stock exchange, has a modern fleet of aircraft, is not subsidised, and funds all of its own requirements.

Not only is it reliable, and its service a pleasant experience, but it now offers seemingly by default, but available for booking online, same-day connections via Panama that avoid Miami and link hard to travel between Caribbean points such as Nassau and Port of Spain.

What sets it apart is that it continues to grow and remains profitable. In 2012, it increased its operating revenue by five per cent, increased passenger numbers by 21.4 per cent and in the same period recorded a profit of US$327 million.

It is at the same time contributing to Panama City's rapid development as an economic and logistics hub for the Caribbean Basin, adding significantly to the country's strategic importance once the widened Panama Canal opens in 2014, and providing an important part of the infrastructure that is enabling the Panamanian economy to grow rapidly.

Industry analysts suggest that the reason COPA has done so well is because the US airline Continental entered into a strategic partnership in 1998, investing in developing the airline, its management and its connectivity; an ethos and ties that have remained through code share arrangements and international airline alliances after Continental profitably sold its shares.

In comparison, aviation in the Caribbean has been a disaster, staggering from one financial and operating crisis to another, too often micromanaged by governments, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in subsidies while becoming expensive to use to the point at which the cost of interregional travel is now resulting in rapidly declining passenger traffic.

The consequence is that there is no genuinely profitable airline in the Caribbean; that is to say, one that does not benefit from subsidies.

Despite continuing to receive start-up subsidies five years after it began operations, Trinidad owned Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) recorded deficits of US$43.6m in 2011 and US$83.7m in 2012 and is now in dialogue with local banks to obtain long-term financing to manage its debts.

Beyond this, there is a view among aviation analysts that the airline is lacking in business discipline.

They cite as an example CAL's decision to launch a long-haul service to London in direct competition to British Airways while absorbing Air Jamaica, addressing certification problems and attempting to become the region's flag carrier.

Other regional airlines are faring little better.

LIAT, owned by some of the governments of the Eastern Caribbean, lost US$8.5m in 2012, has falling passenger numbers, and claims to be suffering as a result of the fuel subsidies that CAL receives.

Despite this, LIAT intends spending some US$225m on new equipment, it says, to turn the airline's fortunes around.

Air Jamaica has been absorbed by CAL in what is a far from happy marriage and likely to result in cuts to Air Jamaica services.

Barbados-based REDjet a low-fare carrier foundered after running into bureaucratic delays and insufficient funding.

Cayman Airways receives more than US$18m per annum in government support and is heavily indebted.

And Bahamasair, which has an ageing fleet of aircraft, saw its deficit rise from US$9.8m in 2011 to US$11.7 million last year.

It is not as though the issue has not been discussed at length and over many years.

Towards the end of 2012, the Caribbean Tourism organization (CTO) formed an Aviation Task Force which is, in part, trying to breathe life into the 2007 San Juan Accord which sought to increase competitiveness by liberalising and harmonising air transport within the region.

More recently still, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) have agreed that Colombia's Foreign Minister, Maria Angela Holgu'n, will chair in Trinidad next month a meeting to consider a private sector-driven approach to enhancing air links in the Caribbean Basin and South America.

In a world of common sense, regional aviation, governments and the private sector should long ago have come together with international funding agencies and an external carrier to seek the kind of solution that COPA found through Continental.

Unfortunately, in the real world of Caribbean aviation there is political interference, decisions taken on the basis of petty nationalism and an absence of the efficiencies that the private sector usually brings.

As a consequence, governments subsidise foreign carriers to fly in, subsidise regional airlines, and subsidise fuel. Then, in response, they tax in multiple ways, travel and travellers, in order to recover what they have spent.

Clearly, this is unsustainable. If not addressed soon, regional aviation and, by extension, regional integration is likely to continue its slow downward spiral.

Although hardly likely to be popular with the aviation community in the region, a more logical long-term approach might be for CAL to begin talks with an airline like COPA to encourage the latter to bring to the Caribbean its private-sector expertise, discipline, benefits and connectivity, in much the same way that that the original COPA/Continental relationship worked.

If this was to happen, and it is a big if, a strong, single, profitable, unsubsidised and growth-oriented regional airline might eventually not only make genuine profits, but could also stimulate tourism, revitalise regionalism and stimulate growth in the regional economy.

David Jessop is director of the Caribbean Council. Email david.jessop@ caribbean-council.org.