Caribbean Airlines ordered to drop Air Jamaica brand from their aircrafts!

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has instructed national carrier Caribbean Airlines (CAL) to drop its Air Jamaica (AJ) brand from its aircraft.

It has been reported that use of the AJ brand does not comply with CAL’s airline operator certificate.

Despite the acquisition of AJ routes, CAL is not licensed to operate two brands but has been doing so for over a year. For CAL to use the AJ brand, it will have to register a new airline in the name of Air Jamaica.

CAL, was alerted about this disparity by CAA a few months ago as it sought to improve its systems ahead of a planned audit by the international Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). CAA is being audited by the FAA.

In the short term, the onus is on CAL to repaint AJ’s six planes at a cost of US$60,000 an aircraft.

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CAL’s head, Corporate Communications Clint Williams confirmed that CAL had received recommendations from CAA which had been passed to its new line minister, Vasant Bharath.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Development, Bharath, as Minister in the Ministry of Finance, is in charge of all State enterprises. Williams said yesterday that Bharath is expected to meet with his counterpart in Jamaica to discuss the matter.

Former transport minister Devant Maharaj, under whose purview both CAL and CAA had fallen, will also be part of the discussions.

Asked whether CAL was already repainting its aircraft, Williams said it will be part of the discussions between the ministers. He admitted that one aircraft, which was already undergoing scheduled maintenance, was already re-touched with CAL’s logo.

Read full story over at Trinidad Express.

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