JO - No golden parachute for Air J incompetents, please

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer


No golden parachute for Air J incompetents, please

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) purchased Air Jamaica to become the region's largest airline, with the Trinidadian Government injecting US$300 million to streamline the operation, following CAL's designation as the national carrier of Jamaica.

Read the whole editorial here.

Snippet(s):

"This is a sign of the times as the global economic crisis has left very few profitable airlines. Indeed, United Airlines and Continental Airlines have merged to create the world's largest airline.

An airline of the size of Air Jamaica will find it very difficult to realise the economies of scale and scope which would make its operations cost-effective. In the quest for viability, the excellent work of the pilots and cabin crew was let down by poor management and ineffective boards of mostly political appointees. Some board members were repeatedly reappointed, despite the unprofitability of the operations.

Air Jamaica, one of the finest airlines in the world in terms of its flight operations, suffered because it had too many locals who were not specialists in airline management, or foreigners casted off by foreign airlines. Management consistently refused to consult the pilots and crew and ignored their suggestions about improving the efficiency of the airline.

How routes were chosen, how they were operated and how they were mismanaged remain an enigma."

"Successive governments of Jamaica (GOJ) did not spend their travel budgets with the airline that it owned, although it was Jamaica's designated national carrier. US Government officials are required by law to travel only on American-owned airlines."

"The failure to use Air Jamaica must also be blamed on the travelling public and the worst offenders were the ministers of the GOJ. The most egregious conduct and a lasting indictment is that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

Air Jamaica was deprived of hundreds of millions of US dollars over its entire history. Many Jamaican travellers abused the privilege of having a national airline by being late and travelling with too many bags."

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"Bottomline, we are all to blame for what has happened to Air Jamaica. For a brief decade -- 1994 to 2004 under Mr Gordon 'Butch' Stewart -- we saw a flicker of hope, a sign of the possibilities of a profitable, well-run Air Jamaica. Alas, that too did not last, thanks again to our politicians."

JO - 'Barrel children' hurtingClinical psychiatrist says 'barrel' kids need counselling

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

'Barrel children' hurting

Clinical psychiatrist says 'barrel' kids need counselling

BY TANEISHA LEWIS Sunday Observer staff reporter editorial@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, June 08, 2008

A clinical psychiatrist is recommending that children whose parents migrate and leave them behind get grief counselling, similar to that offered to kids who have lost loved ones or whose families are going through separation or divorce.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The study presented on Friday was conducted among 80 school children in Jamaica between the ages of nine and 13; and 60 school children in Trinidad ages 13 to 16.

It found that three in every 10 Jamaican households and one in 10 homes in Trinidad had children whose parents had migrated to North America or the United Kingdom, often in search of economic opportunities.

The children reported feelings of loneliness, anger, anxiety, fear of rejection, abandonment and sadness.

Labelling migration as the single strongest factor that contributes to the breakdown of the contemporary Caribbean family, Pottinger said the impact was more pervasive than other types of parental separation or loss."