Fly Jamaica Airways ceases operations

Press Release | Fly Jamaica Airways, a Jamaican airline with “Greenhart” as its callsign, has laid off employees and ceased operations. In a letter send to employees, CEO Paul Ronald Reece, explains that the decision was taken due to the lack of aircraft and financial troubles – 4 months after the carrier lost half its fleet as a result of a runway “incident”.

“Due to our lack of aircraft and the impact that it has had on the Company’s financial position, we have no alternative but to make all our employees redundant effective March 31, 2019,” according to a letter, signed by Ronald Reece dated March 29, 2019.

NEWS: Fly Jamaica Airways makes employees redundant effective March 31, 2019 pic.twitter.com/LdgpR5l43E

— Krysten-Paige Smith (@kryssiei9) March 29, 2019

The letter then goes on to explain the company’s failed attempts at finding more funding and promises to pay employees what they are owed from November 2018.

Since commencing operations in 2012, Fly Jamaica Airways operated 2 aircraft: a Boeing 757-200, and a leased Boeing 767-300, which was added to the fleet in 2014.

On November 9, 2018, the Boeing 757, while en-route to Toronto, Canada, some 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed problems with the plane’s hydraulic system and requested permission to return to Georgetown, Guyana.

There were 120 passengers and 8 crew members on board. Upon landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the aircraft overshot the runway. According to media reports, 6 people were injured during the incident, 1 of them, a senior citizen, later died at the hospital, allegedly from injuries sustained during the incident.

Guyana plane crash: Six injured on Fly Jamaica flight pic.twitter.com/bbKnPY6WUc

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) November 10, 2018

Fly Jamaica flight overshoots runway at Guyana airport, injuring 6 passengers. https://t.co/tPzR4KDuae pic.twitter.com/UvaHSLxf4H

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 9, 2018

The cessation of Fly Jamaica Airways operations creates a vacuum which will be filled to some extent by Caribbean Airlines. The Trinidad & Tobago-based carrier, recently revealed that it would begin a twice-weekly, non-stop service, between Kingston and Barbados, from April 15, subject to government approval.