CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC:
TOURISM MINISTER, Phillip J Pierre, says he is preparing to meet with officials of Air Jamaica to decide on the future operations of the airline in St. Lucia.
Pierre told Parliament that the recent decision of the cash-strapped airline to discontinue services to St. Lucia should not be viewed as the end of the road for the airline's involvement with the tourism sector on the island.
Pierre said he wanted to meet with senior Air Jamaica officials soon so as to discuss the possible return of the carrier to St. Lucia, and to also consider other options.
"While the airline is of the view that we are well served out of the U.S.A., as far as I know, if the situation changes, anything can happen, and in fact I have requested further discussions with the airline, so their departure in not a fait accomplait," he said.
Pierre said Air Jamaica had decided to return to two other Eastern Caribbean states and not St. Lucia, because it had been using Barbados as a hub, and in the case of Grenada, it was the only carrier with non stop services to the United States.
"Air Jamaica almost has a monopoly in Grenada, and operates a successful Eastern Caribbean hub in Barbados, so there is no secret to its decision not to return here," he said.
UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE
Pierre said that the airline had lost over US$800m and remained under tremendous pressure to rationalise its routes resulting in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and some cities in North America being removed from the airline's schedule.
Air Jamaica stopped servicing the St. Lucia route on March 19 even as it continues to maintain city and airport offices, a staff of 19 full time employees.
Pierre said that in this fiscal year, the St. Lucia Tourist Board would be focusing its efforts on increasing airlift to St. Lucia, so as to meet the demand resulting from a substantial increase in new hotel rooms on the island.
He said the Tourism Ministry would establish an airline capacity development and retention programme, as part of the new marketing thrust.
