Up and down the isles: Air Jamaica changes; villa rentals; Turks and Caicos. (Caribbean & Bahamas).(briefs)

Travel Agent, May, 2003 by Olearchik, James

Jamaica and its Carrier

Like many international carriers, Jamaica's national airline is experiencing its fair share of difficulties these days. When the war with Iraq began, Air Jamaica's reservations dropped about 40 percent, and according to Allen Chastanet, the airline's vice president of sales and marketing, that percentage grew to almost 60 percent during the war.

But a dramatic recovery is in the offing. At press time, Air Jamaica's numbers were back to prewar numbers (though not pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels). Coming to the aid of the carrier has been the Jamaican government. While it already owns a 25 percent share of Air Jamaica, the government plans to buy another 20 percent in exchange for the dismissal of $300 million of the carrier's debt....

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