Business
Fly Jamaica Airways: – A new startup founded by Jamaican and Guyanese entrepreneurs
Each department, he said, has its own set of books, in other words, it’s own ‘bible’ of how the airline will be operated. “Our primary goal is safety and we have to demonstrate that we can operate a safe airline, and the documentation shows how we comply with the requirements made in law,” Tai said.
Demonstration process
Fly Jamaica Airways is now preparing for the demonstration process set for two weeks away. The facilities will be inspected to ensure that the required support is in place and the plane and its services will also come under scrutiny. The airline has already acquired its own Boeing 757 aircraft that will comfortably seat 12 first-class and 186 economy-class passengers.
Following a satisfactory demonstration, they will be issued with the AOC, which is in fact the licence given to operate an airline. Interestingly, the process does not stop there as, upon the issuance of the licence, the airline has to prove ‘economic authority’, which is to show financial viability. “They have to ensure that we have the means to continue operating at a safe standard. This information we have already submitted,” Tai said.
Few businesses have as many variables and challenges as airlines. They are capital-intensive, competition is fierce and often at the mercy of fuel-price volatility. Operations are labor intensive and subject to government control and political influence, and a lot depends on the weather.
Appealing to the diaspora
However, Tai is confident that, with the airline offering full service on the chosen routes between Jamaica, Guyana, Toronto and New York, they will appeal to the diaspora concentrated in these areas. “It is a Jamaican airline. Most of our staff will be Jamaicans, and persons in the diaspora will know that we are for them. They are more accustomed to a Jamaican airline,” Tai said.
