Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Jamaican cabinet receives five-point business plan for national airline
02-01-2007

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): The Jamaican cabinet on Tuesday received a five-point strategised business plan from the Chief Executive Officer of Air Jamaica, Michael Conway and Chairman of the Board, Owen K. Melhado.

"This is the latest strategised business plan to make this airline more efficient and more effective," Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan said Tuesday, at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing.

He explained that the five-point strategy included: increased reliability; route rationalisation to consolidate the administration of the airline in Kingston; outsourcing Air Jamaica Vacations; and converting Airbuses to Boeing.

The Minister noted that the airline has been operating at a deficit for some time and there is a need for the injection of some US$60 million to ensure that the airline meets all of its capital requirements.

"Going forward over a two-year period, the proposal is that the airline will require another US$65 million to take it through to the end of the year 2008," he said.