Air Jamaica getting 757s!

[PhilDernerJr]

I heard from some Air Jamaica employees that they will be getting deliveries of some 757s in October.

I asked many questions to confirm this. They are getting their own planes...not wet leasing from Ryan International and jsut putting AJM colors on it or anything like that. These will be their own planes.

This really surprised me though. I would think it would throw a wrench into their operation to suddenly go from all the Airbi to a Boeing type. They have been having a lot of mx trouble as it is, now they have to train these guys ont he 757, or hire other companies to maintain them.

I thought they'd have gotten some more A321s instead.

Or would this be the beginning of a full fleet switch perhaps? Hmmmm

[Iberia A340-600]

Talks have been going on for a while about getting rid of their Airbus fleet. I believe the plan is to have 757-200s operating their longer routes while the A319s will be kept to operate inter-island flights.

Which means bye-bye to the A321s and A343s.

[hiss srq]

Urr sorry sonny 319's and AirJam are non existant. The actual plan is to convert those terrible french birds over and pick up a few used 737 classics. 300/400 series to compliment the 757's as well as getting rid of the 340 fleet. They are goin g to focus on code share with carriers a little more so. They have agreements with Delta that will be very useful in JFK and ATL.

[Iberia A340-600]

Urr sorry sonny 319's and AirJam are non existant. The actual plan is to convert those terrible french birds over and pick up a few used 737 classics. 300/400 series to compliment the 757's as well as getting rid of the 340 fleet. They are goin g to focus on code share with carriers a little more so. They have agreements with Delta that will be very useful in JFK and ATL.

Whoops, those are A320s they currently operate but I believe the plan is still to acquire A319s over the classic 737s.

I am aware of the new Virgin Atlantic code-shares to Gatwick from Kingston and Montego Bay as well as the new connections with Air Jamaica to Toronto and inter-island connections with Caribbean but I am pretty sure connections with Delta were cut a year or a couple of months ago.


New Air Jamaica 'express' service - Airline reshaping intra-island travel
published: Friday | August 3, 2007


An Air Jamaica plane lowers its landing gear in preparation for landing at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. - File

Air Jamaica is to implement a shuttle service between Kingston and Montego Bay, using a small 125-seater Airbus A319 craft, in a reorganisation of its intra-island movement of travellers.

The new service will fly five to six round trips per day between the cities.

Airline President Michael Conway is selling the move as a cost containment strategy, saying it would reduce the maintenance bill on the large planes that now do the hops on the completion of flights into Jamaica.

"All of our flights into Jamaica arrive at either Montego Bay or NMIA and have a unique passenger makeup: tourists destined for the north coast resorts, and Jamaicans or visiting friends and relatives whose predominant destination is Kingston," said Conway as reported by state news agency JIS.

"As a result, each of our arrivals in Jamaica requires a further movement of passengers to the other major city on a 20-minute flight. It's not very efficient to fly large aircraft on such a short segment."

Air Jamaica does not have an A319 in its fleet, suggesting that the airline either intends to add another craft or replace one of the 16 it flies internationally. Several attempts to reach Conway were unsuccessful, but he has made the point that the fleet rationalisation programme under way could mean an increase or right-sizing of the operation, and not necessarily a cut in the number of planes.

Last year, it cost the airline US$62.7 million to keep its fleet in good order, but according to figures published by the Finance Ministry Air J hopes to push costs down to US$49.7 million this year. Maintenance as a portion of operating expenses rode above 12 per cent, but the new estimates would pull it down to 10 per cent.

"Maintenance of an aircraft isn't just tied to hours of use, but also to the number of takeoffs and landings," said the airline president.

"By utilising a smaller jet aircraft, such as an A319 with approximately 125 seats, operating 5-6 roundtrips per day on a reliable basis between MBJ and NMIA, Air Jamaica can eliminate all of the expensive cross island flying being done today by the larger aircraft. This will also enable the larger aircraft to be immediately deployed on a return long-haul routing."

The fleet now comprises all Airbuses - eight A320, six A321 and two A340.

The A321s are to be replaced with Boeing 757s, while the A340s are to be returned to Airbus in October.

"The comparably sized Boeing 757 aircraft has 30 per cent more payload capability and will solve most of our baggage challenges out of New York and Toronto to Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean," said Conway.

"With its extended range, the 757 will also provide us with the opportunity to serve any major city in South America on a non-stop basis from Jamaica."

The changes are all being guided by a new business plan that Air Jamaica sold to lawmakers last year as the way to pull the loss-making carrier out of the red.

Air Jamaica, which was incorporated in 1966, has had 38 years of losses that have accumulated to US$1.1 billion in 2006. The national carrier reverted to 100 per cent state ownership in December 2004, after a decade under the control of the Air Jamaica Acquisition Group, a consortium of private investors led by hotelier Gordon 'Butch' Stewart.

Having now sold the biggest drag on its bottomline, the London route, Conway remains confident that the airline will hit breakeven point by 2009, and start showing a profit the next year.

He reports that passenger loads increased by 41,400 for the first six months of 2007, and that related revenues were up 8.4 per cent.

Last year, the airline posted unaudited revenues of US$392 million, US$24 million of which was from cargo operations, and projects income growth to $401 million in the current period.

The intra-island passenger movement programme, part of the fleet rationalisation plan, won't copy the former Air Jamaica Express, said Conway.

The subsidiary airline, before its closure, operated out of the Tinson Pen aerodrome in Kingston, flying small planes to Sangster International in Montego Bay and aerodromes in Negril and Portland. The new service will operate between Kingston's Norman Manley International and Sangster's.

Gleaner and JIS reports

Copyright Jamaica-Gleaner.com

[hiss srq]

I guess I got served.

[Iberia A340-600]

Pwned, Ryan. :lol:

Sorry... It's a slow night.

Here is an un-answered question, were are the 757-200s coming from? I guess there are some floating around the market for example ex-Condor birds and ex-British Airways birds but I believe American did not sell all the ex-TWA birds to Delta, perhaps there are a couple left.

[hiss srq]

No kidding slow night, same here.

[FlyNavy]

China Southern has dumped a number of their 757-200s (so far B-2811 and B-2807). I've also heard that ex-B-2807 is headed to Primaris (now reg'd N742PA), so, who knows at this point. Anyway, just another possibility (these are RR-powered birds).

[PhilDernerJr]

Nice heads up on the upcoming N742PA!

I hope Air Jamaica revises their scheme somewhat for this fleet swap. KEep the colors, just make them look more modern.

[T-Bird76]

There are still former ATA 757s waiting to be had that US didn't pick up and NW also parked a few as well, not sure if the NW birds were for sale or just parked. Its amazing Air Jamaica is even still flying, they've had horrible finacial trouble the past few years. I just hope the A340 makes a few more visits to JFK before she's gone. IMO its the nicest looking A340 flying.

[PhilDernerJr]

The A340 has been sitting at a JFK T4 hardstand for the past several days.

[Delta777LR]

Is there any aircraft that will replace the two A340s?

[T-Bird76]

Is there any aircraft that will replace the two A340s?

No. If you read Gordan's post they were losing money on the London route that the A340's bought for. Air Jamaica's business plan is to be more of a regional player.

[mirrodie]

Aye Mon, I can't believe what my ears be 'earing, mon! 8)

Tom is right, the A340 in Air Jamaica colors is something I will miss. What were their nicknames? Atlantic limosines?

How long before they are gone?

[Matt Molnar]

Who bought the LHR route, BA?

[Mayi757]

Nice heads up on the upcoming N742PA!

I hope Air Jamaica revises their scheme somewhat for this fleet swap. KEep the colors, just make them look more modern.

noo please that's like the only last colorful airline around. I actually thought the c/s were too much back in 1994 or so but with so many "modern" aka bland, disgusting liveries they look better than they ever did, seriously. As long as they skip the flag on the engines.. it should be fine.

Would be nice to see 733s in their c/s instead of the ugly duckling of the Airbus family - A319 -.

Actually, would love to see the A310 back in JM scheme (fat chance) but the 757s should suffice.

[hiss srq]

Those 310's were awesome to fly on. Very comfortable indeed as well and unlike the rest I am all for the flag on the engines.

[DHG750R]

Who bought the LHR route, BA?


Looks like Sir Branson has snapped them up

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/gatwick ... 020607.htm (http://www.uk-airport-news.info/gatwick-airport-news-020607.htm)