Air Jamaica began its operations in April,1969, with nonstop flights from Kingston and Montego Bay to New York and Miami. At that time, the airline was owned by the Government of Jamaica, with a minority interest held by Air Canada, which provided the equipment, technology, training, pilots and some top management. Through a "buy-back" agreement, the Jamaican government acquired the airline by the end of the following decade.

Through the years, Air Jamaica has expanded its routes, services and flight schedules. In 1970 and 1971, new gateways were established in Toronto and Philadelphia. Later, flights to Europe and other Caribbean destinations were introduced. In February 1982, service to Baltimore/Washington was inaugurated and the following year, the Atlanta-Jamaica route opened. In 1991, Air Jamaica established twice-weekly service from Jamaica to Nassau in the Bahamas to fill the gap left by the modified British Airways service to the region. In 1992, Air Jamaica began the first scheduled nonstop service from Orlando to Jamaica.

In November of 1994, after lengthy talks and negotiations, Air Jamaica was privatized. At present, 70% of the airline is owned by the Air Jamaica Acquisition Group, comprised of Jamaican business men, the government holds 25% with 5% of the stock reserved for employee investment. The agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the investor group provide that the airline maintain national carrier status.

As the newly privatized national airline of Jamaica, Air Jamaica has set performance targets for itself, that are putting it on par with the best products in the region. "We have taken what is essentially a good product, and we have brought it up to speed," said Gordon "Butch" Stewart, the airline's new Chairman. "The job is by no means complete, but we believe that it is a viable business proposition and that it can pay its way and turn a profit. Our objective is simple and straightforward: To make Air Jamaica a productive, efficient and profitable carrier which offers a quality of service that is second to none. The new Air Jamaica is designed to be professional, with a Jamaican flair, a national carrier that we can all be proud of," he continued.

The first few months were exciting ones for the new Air Jamaica. The national carrier created a new livery (distinctive color scheme), refurbished interiors, eye-catching signage at the airports it serves, and upgraded service on the ground and in the air. It can be perhaps summed up best with the thought that our new look is a clear message to our customers and our competitors that Air Jamaica is a new airline that faces the future with confidence. Air Jamaica intends to build the finest airline the Caribbean has ever experienced!. One of the newest features that Air Jamaica offers is an experienced, prize winning Executive Chef, Louis Bailey, to work with our Catering department. The onboard service has been completely redesigned, including new and fresh meal presentations, champagne breakfasts in both First Class and the Main Cabin, along with complimentary champagne,wine or Red Stripe Beer with all meals. Air Jamaica's special concierge service at airports has been very well received, as is our new frequent flyer program(7th Heaven). The airline is dedicated to delivering excellence in customer service with the friendly warmth that Jamaica has always been known. Currently, Air Jamaica employs over nearly 3,000 people, with an emphasis on improving productivity while being fair to our staff.

On June 1, 1995, the new national carrier expanded its North American route system by introducing daily service from Ft. Lauderdale to Montego Bay and Kingston. According to Chairman Stewart, the Ft. Lauderdale route "is a step in the right direction for the new Air Jamaica, and an integral part of the carrier's growth and development plan. Many passengers prefer the ease of flying out of Ft. Lauderdale, and now they will have a choice of gateways in South Florida."

Air Jamaica's new daily nonstop schedule from Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport to Montego Bay and Kingston offers Broward and Palm Beach customers the convenience of small package cargo service and FASTPAK check-in. The service is also available from Miami International Airport. The airline provides complete cargo service from its bases in Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Orlando.
Air Jamaica is a major contributor to the economy of Jamaica, flying more people annually to the island from its various gateways, than any other airline. Today, Air Jamaica accounts for the majority of passenger and air cargo traffic to the island. Its cargo operations are deeply involved in the growth of Jamaica's industrial development and international commerce. Air Jamaica is the prime air carrier of Jamaica's agricultural produce to the winter markets in North America. It is also at the heart of the "807" manufactured goods program, whereby unassembled American materials (generally clothing items), are assembled on contract in Jamaica and later distributed to markets throughout the United States.

The airline maintains fully-computerized reservations center in North America and Jamaica, with links to most major Reservations systems. The Air Jamaica Fleet is currently the newest fleet of planes to the Caribbean. The Fleet consists of four widebody Airbus A-310's, ten ultra-efficient A-320's, three colorful Airbus A-321's, and three multi-Class A-340's for the Trans-Atlantic runs to the U.K and New York, with a total daily lift of over 9,000 seats. The A-310's will be phased out between now and 2004, and replaced with the more economical and efficient A-320 and A-321 equipment.

Among the airline's special features are its well-trained in-flight crew and highly experienced captains. SkyWritings, the airline's own in-flight magazine offers passengers a variety of information about Jamaica and the Caribbean, and outlines the products available for purchase from the Sky Shop. Air Jamaica's in-flight Sky Shop features attractively-priced, duty free liquors, cigarettes and perfumes.

With the move to the private sector, the airline's emphasis is on service, a totally customer-friendly carrier, whose goal is to be the best there is in the region. "We will continue to fine-tune the product so that we may offer our vacationing and business customers the best value for their money," says Chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart. "We are now introducing Air Jamaica check-in desks at hotels and our passengers will be able to check their luggage through to their final destination, get a boarding pass, a seat assignment and pay their departure tax right at their hotel. This will give them more time to relax and enjoy the last few hours of their vacation, since they will not need to be at the airport any more than 60 minutes before flight time," he continued.

Air Jamaica has scheduled service with over 360 flights a week to the Caribbean from New York, Boston, Newark, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Orlando, Houston, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. One of our newly acquired Transatlantic A-340's began Non-Stop, Wide-Body Service between New York and Kingston with additional Non-Stops to Barbados and Grenada. Recent Gateway openings include London (Heathrow) and Manchester, England, with Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, Bonaire, Curaçao and Cuba in the Caribbean. The airline has a Code-Share alliance with Delta Airlines and Air Canada that will let people from all over the world easily and effortlessly travel to Jamaica and the Caribbean on Air Jamaica. We also have Joint-Fare agreements with United Airlines, US Air, Continental and Virgin. Delta Airlines and Virgin are integral Partners of our 7th Heaven Frequent Flyer Program.

Information obtained from Air Jamaica. For more information, please contact the airline or surf to their website at the Homepage address below.