(CMR) Fly Jamaica Airways will be shutting down on Sunday. With only 2 days notice to staff that the airline will no longer be in operation a letter was sent out earlier today from the company's Chairman & CEO, Paul Ronald Reece.
Fly Jamaica Airways is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica with flight operations at the Norman Manley International Airport. The airline was formed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Guyana-born Paul Ronald Reece, Mrs. Roxanne Reece and three Jamaican shareholders including Captain Lloyd Tai and Mrs. Christine Steele and Mrs. Shaun Lawson-Laing. Captain Reece is also the owner of Wings Aviation Ltd, based in Guyana, which owns and operates Cessna aircraft in the interior of Guyana.
They were certified by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) in September 2012 and was cleared to operate in the United States in December 2013. It made its inaugural flight to New York on Valentine's Day 2013. The airline had several routes including Guyana, Jamaica, Toronto and New York.
On November 16, 2017, Fly Jamaica Airways was given permission by the Government of Guyana to begin direct flights between Guyana and Cuba. However, last November the airline sustained some negative publicity when a plane bound for Toronto, Canada crashed shortly after taking off outside of Guyana's capital. It was forced to make an emergency landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The Boeing 757, carrying 126 people, including two infants, returned after experiencing hydraulic problems.
On top of the alleged injuries, passengers said they had belongings stolen after the plane touched down, including luggage containing jewelry, cash, cellphones and tablets. One woman said her wedding band was stolen. According to Guyanese media, eight firefighters were arrested for allegedly stealing items from passengers and crew members. A lawsuit on behalf of several passengers was also filed.
This one page letter merely states that the due to “lack of aircraft” and the impact on it's financial position they were making all employees redundant in two days. They are also asking staff to give them time to sort out their compensation from November to date – implying that at least some staff have not been paid since then.
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