Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Passengers boarding an Airlink flight in 2005 - File

Montego Bay-based domestic carrier, International Airlink, has acquired another 1900D-19-seater Beechcraft under lease, which it plans to fly into Kingston's Tinson Pen aerodrome daily, mana-ging director Howard Levy has confirmed.

The company is in the process of rebuilding its market among intra-island travellers after plans to sell the business to Carlos Hill's Cash Plus Group were shelved.

"The Cash Plus deal fell through," said Levy last week. "The company is solely being operated under the Levy family."

company owners

The family includes Levy and his wife, but Levy also said an uncle would be joining the company and would be its chairman.

The new Beechcraft takes the fleet to three. But Levy said Airlink is also aquiring more aircraft - two "36-seater Shorts 360", which Sunday Business understands are being sourced from the United Kingdom and should start arriving this week.

Airlink plans to operate 10 flights per day between Montego Bay and Kingston, at US$65 per one-way ticket, but is waiting on the Civil Aviation Authority to declare the new Beechcraft air-worthy.

The small aeroplane arrived in Jamaica last Sunday and is housed in a hangar at Tinson Pen.

Levy said service should commence in about two weeks.

For the past nine months, Airlink has operated a Grand Caravan Cessna on the Kingston route, but the nine-seater offers limited capacity.

Intra-island travellers have turned to international carriers, but using their service requires passengers to clear immigration and customs with each journey and they are subject to the same security restrictions as flyers arriving from overseas.

"I am so turned off by what is happening," said Gina Grant, a regular business traveller.

"I am suffering badly."

Shirley Rodgers, who says she must travel to Kingston from Montego Bay once per week, has opted to go by road, which takes up seven hours out of her day.

"It takes me three hours by road on a good day, and when I get into the city, I have to fight through the congestion of getting from point 'A' to 'B'," she said.

"I lose so many hours because Airlink is sometimes full and I can't get a seat onboard, so I welcome the 19-seater."

A plane hop between the two cities takes 25 minutes.

Having acquired the Beechcraft, Airlink now plans to utilise the Cessna on the Negril and Ocho Rios routes, which provides services to tourists staying in the resort areas. Levy said he is also making plans to fly into the Ken Jones airstrip in Portland as well.

International Airlink commenced operations in Jamaica's domestic air-transportation market four years ago, shortly after Air Jamaica Express closed its doors.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com