Fly Jamaica yet to file application in Jamaica

The new owner of Fly Jamaica, Glenn Logan, had initially intended for the carrier to recommence operations from September. However, this is very unlikely, as the airline is yet to file application in Jamaica, before the process begins in Guyana.
The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica on Friday reported that the airline may be “in limbo despite takeover talks”. Logan has been tight-lipped on the transaction, but The Gleaner reported that Head of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), Nari Williams-Singh, has said that the application is yet to be received and the review process is yet to commence.
On the other hand, reports are that Fly Jamaica had, after the accident, made an insurance claim, which is yet to be paid to Ronald Reece, the airline’s former owner.
Efforts made by Guyana Times to contact Reece on Sunday were futile, but The Gleaner reported that Reece said the new owner of the airline is yet to “pay over any funds”.
That newspaper also reported that Reece was displeased that Logan had made public statements, which has breached their agreement in regard to “disclosures”.
The operations of Fly Jamaica airline were crippled by a crash that occurred on November 9, 2018. The Boeing 757 flight crash-landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara after encountering hydraulic issues. The flight had left the CJIA at about 02:10h for Toronto, but the pilot returned to the CJIA, where the aircraft crash-landed.
The cash-strapped airline has since made all its workers redundant effective from March 1, 2019. Most of the fired former employees are also still awaiting payment of their salaries. Irate passengers are likewise still awaiting refunds from tickets that were booked. Those refunds are pegged at over $16 million.
On July 29, hope surfaced for the airline when it was revealed that a team of investors, led by Yann LeProvost of the French-based company W&Y SAS and including Jamaican aviation veteran Glenn Logan, had taken over the problem-plagued airline.
The new owners took over on July 26 from Guyanese operators Paul and Roxanne Reece. They have since pledged their commitment to addressing the issues affecting the airline, such as salaries owed to workers, and compensation for tickets.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field, in an interview back in July, pointed out that the company must refile an application seeking approval to operate locally before it can so do.
“…if they are certified and approved by the Jamaica (Civil Aviation Authority); because it is a Jamaican-based airline, not a Guyanese-based. So, providing that Jamaica approved the application, then they will give them the necessary permits. They will have to use that to reapply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Guyana, so they will have to make an entire new application and go through the entire process for approval from Guyana also,” Director General Field had said.