Shaw
Garwin Davis, Contributing Editor
OPPOSITION SPOKESPERSON on Finance, Audley Shaw, has grave concerns regarding the future of Air Jamaica, saying the national carrier has been badly mismanaged and at the expense of taxpayers.
Speaking to The Sunday Gleaner yesterday, Mr. Shaw said he has information that the airline has been performing way below expectations, racking up billions of dollars in losses since returning to government control in December 2004.
"We intend to question the Finance Minister next week at the finance committee meeting regarding the sad state of affairs at Air Jamaica," Mr. Shaw said. "Despite the promise of transparency we have not been getting the true picture. The minister needs to understand that the taxpaying public has a stake in this matter and should come clean on the true financial situation of Air Jamaica."
MAINTENANCE AND FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
The Government resumed control of Air Jamaica following a decade under the ownership of the Gordon 'Butch' Stewart-led Air Jamaica Acquisition Group (AJAG). Since then, the national carrier has been beset by numerous maintenance and financial problems, prompting many industry experts to question whether the airline had a viable future.
"The future certainly doesn't look bright," Mr. Shaw added. "Reports that the airline currently doesn't have a chief financial officer which is critical to the success or failure of any business, is indeed troubling. It is also of grave concern the reports that the airline has been losing its market share because of poor scheduling and on-time performance. We have not been hearing much from the airline's senior management, so maybe the minister is in a better position to assist us with answers."
Repeated calls to the airline for a comment were unsuccessful. Michael Conway, Air Jamaica's CEO, was said to be off for the Easter holidays, while the airline's chairman, O.K. Melhado, was said to be in the United Kingdom on business.
