Logistics Hub

United States (US)-based Frontier Airlines has announced plans to increase the number of weekly flights to Jamaica, beginning November 1. International Sales Manager, Alfredo Gonsalez, told JIS News that three new gateways will be added to the existing slate, to bring the number of destinations from which scheduled service into Montego Bay is provided, to four. He said Frontier will commence flights from Atlanta, Georgia on November 1, Orlando, Florida on November 2, and Newark, New Jersey on December 17. These, he indicated, will be in addition to flights from Miami, Florida to Montego Bay, which commenced in May. Mr. Gonsalez said Frontier’s decision was based on the need identified “after two very difficult years in the travel industry”, consequent on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “to connect [and] bring people from the US back to Jamaica [and] people from Jamaica to the US”. He said the airlines’ leadership decided early in the pandemic to identify key potential destinations that would need to be connected, once countries globally lifted or relaxed travel restrictions, adding that “Jamaica was definitely one of them”. “That’s why, early in the pandemic, we made the announcement that we would be flying from Miami and shortly, thereafter, we started making the other announcements [about the additional US destinations from which service would be provided]. We hope that demand continues to grow [as] we want to continue growing [our service], not seasonally but all year round,” Mr. Gonsalez added. Frontier Airlines, which is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, USA, has a total of 15 A320 and A321 airbuses that seat 186 and 230 passengers, respectively. The entity operates in about 103 airports. Mr. Gonsalez informed that the company provides service to several other Caribbean destinations, including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Martin. “We will be making some announcements soon [about] flying to Antigua and Barbuda, and Aruba, as well as Belize,” he noted. Mr. Gonsalez said the prospect of expanding service to Jamaica, particularly to Kingston, “depends on how we look at the numbers”. Noting that it takes about 60 to 90 days to determine passenger source when a new destination/route is established, he advised that “we will do the same thing when we start the new flights to Jamaica”. “It’s all going to be based on how the market [responds]. The pandemic has changed a lot of the dynamics… in the airline industry and we are planning differently… based on demand [and] what the customers are looking for,” he explained. Mr. Gonsalez added that “we have followed these demands, and if Kingston is what they are asking for, then we will look in that direction”. “So, it’s a process of really studying how the market is behaving, and since COVID-19 changed so many of these [market] patterns, we are now adjusting to come up with the right solutions,” he said, while underscoring the importance of the partnership forged between Frontier and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in that regard. Meanwhile, Acting Deputy Director of Tourism, Marketing, Peter Mullings, welcomed Frontier’s announcement, describing it as an “excellent development”. “We take [comfort] in seeing an airline take confidence in our destination [and] that there is demand there,” he said. Mr. Mullings argued that Frontier’s decision and announcement are timely and “extremely important”, noting that since Jamaica’s borders were reopened to international travel in June 2020, following a three-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “we [have been] steadily picking up on our [visitor] arrival numbers”. “We have seen in excess of one million visitors arriving… and we continue to see those numbers grow,” he pointed out, while adding that the outlook for the upcoming winter tourist season is positive. “The forecasting of these flights is good, and the pacing of these flights is extremely good. So, we are very confident that we will have a good season coming up,” Mr. Mullings said. He advised that the JTB will work with Frontier, “to ensure that we are able to maximise the load factors on those flights and generate a lot of demand for the destination”. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/frontier-airlines-to-increase-flights-to-jamaica/

The Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) is working assiduously to ensure a safe and secure return of cruise operations at all the island’s ports by early December 2021. Assistant Vice President, Marketing Communications at the Port Authority, Kimberley Stiff, said that the entity is hosting a series of meetings “to apprise various interest groups and the communities in which we operate, of the status of the [resumption] of cruise operations in preparation for the start of the upcoming season”. Miss Stiff, who was speaking in an interview with JIS News, noted that the Port Authority, with the guidance and support from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, “has been systematically devising and implementing mechanisms and solutions to ensure a safe and secure restart of the cruise-shipping sector within the COVID-19 operational context”. The authority has also been working closely with the Ministry of Tourism and its select agencies in this regard. Already, several cruise ship calls have been secured for the upcoming season, some of which are scheduled to start in mid-November. These, Miss Stiff told JIS News, include inaugural visits as well as calls from ultra-luxury premium cruise lines. The port of Ocho Rios has enjoyed a steady schedule of calls since the restart of operations in August, with visits by Carnival Sunrise and MSC Meraviglia, and these should continue throughout the season. Port Royal will host several ships from ultra-luxury premium cruise lines this season, including calls from Holland America Cruise Line – Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam; Crystal Cruises – Crystal Serenity & Crystal Symphony; and Seabourn Cruise Line – Seabourn Ovation, which is a brand-new ship from Saga Cruises (Spirit of Adventure). Marella, which was the first ship to call at the historic Naval Dockyard in January 2020, returns with four more calls this season. Several inaugural calls are also scheduled, including one of the newest ships from MSC Cruises, the MSC Seashore, which will call at the historic Falmouth Port in November, and the Spirit of Adventure, which will call at Port Royal in March. She said that the high level of interest in Jamaica by cruise operators, is attributed, in part, to the successful restart of activities at the port of Ocho Rios, after a 17-month absence due to restrictions arising from COVID-19. She noted that the state-of-art, modernised world-class cruise ports and facilities also add to the island’s attractiveness as a cruise destination. The country’s favourable global stature in tandem with the allure of the cruise product has brought international recognition, with the island winning four World Travel Awards this year – Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination 2021; Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Port 2021: Historic Port of Falmouth; Caribbean’s Leading Home Port 2021: Port of Montego Bay; and Caribbean’s Leading Tourism Development Project 2021: Historic Naval Dockyard, Port Royal. Cruise shipping is one of the PAJ’s core business segments, which contributes significantly to the Jamaican economy. The success of many sectors, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as entrepreneurs, is dependent on the viability of cruise shipping. Several professional and stakeholder groups benefit from cruise operations, as the industry plays an integral role in the sustainability of their livelihoods. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/cruise-operations-expected-to-resume-at-all-ports-by-december/

KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that he has initiated discussions with top representatives of Emirates Airlines, with the aim of introducing a unique flight between Dubai and Jamaica early next year. The announcement comes as the Minister concluded marketing activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday, with a crucial meeting with senior executives of Emirates Airlines at their Dubai Headquarters.  A major element of the wide-ranging discussion was the possibility of introducing a special service between Dubai and Jamaica, in celebration of Jamaica Day at Expo 2020, Dubai in February 2022. “We agreed to explore the feasibility of arranging this flight, details of which are to be worked out as soon as possible. There was also a productive discussion around tourism and airline recovery prospects and the positive V-shape pattern being experienced by Jamaica and Dubai,” said Bartlett. He anticipates further discussions in the context of multi-destination strategies being formulated in the northern Caribbean to enable a more fulsome engagement of the Emirates and other partners in the Middle East. Emirates is the largest airline in the UAE, and the Middle East overall, operating over 3,600 flights per week. While in the UAE, Minister Bartlett and his team also met with the country’s Tourism Authority to discuss collaboration on tourism investment from the region; Middle East tourism initiatives; and gateway access for North Africa and Asia and facilitation of airlift. There were also meetings with executives of EMAAR, arguably the largest and most prestigious hospitality and Real Estate/Community developer in the Middle East; DP World, one of the world’s largest port and marine logistics companies; DNATA, the single largest tour operator in the UAE and TRACT, a powerful tour operator in India. “The round of marketing activities my team and I had with the key tourism and logistics partners in the UAE, were very fruitful.  This will undoubtedly result in the process of securing new investments, markets and gateways from the Middle East, Asia/Asia Minor and Africa to Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean,” Minister Bartlett explained. From the UAE, Minister Bartlett will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will speak at the 5th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). This year’s FII will include in-depth conversations about new global investment opportunities, analysis of industry trends, and unparalleled networking among CEOs, world leaders, and experts. He will be joined by Senator, Hon. Aubyn Hill in his capacity as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, Land, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), the Special Economic Zone Authority of Jamaica and special projects. Cruise Investment Talks with DP World  Also Edmund Bartlett recently concluded a series of important cruise investment meetings with DP World, a major multinational logistics company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “I am very happy to announce that our meetings with one of the world’s largest port and marine logistics companies, DP World, have been very successful. During three consecutive days of meetings, we have had serious discussions about investments in the Port Royal Cruise Port and the possibility of homeporting.  We also discussed the development of a logistics hub, a Vernamfield multi-modal transport and aerotropolis, as well as other infrastructural investments,” said Bartlett. DP World Chairman, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, through his emissary, Executive Vice President of DP World, Mohammed Al Maullem, expressed interest in Jamaica and conveyed greetings to Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness. Bartlett and executives of DP World are to continue these discussions in the near future with the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. DP World specialises in cargo logistics, maritime services, port terminal operations and free trade zones. It was formed in 2005 following the merger of Dubai Ports Authority and Dubai Ports International. DP World handles some 70 million containers that are brought in by around 70,000 vessels annually, which equates to roughly 10% of global container traffic accounted for by their 82 marine and inland terminals present in over 40 countries. Up until 2016, DP World was primarily a global ports operator, and since then it has acquired other companies up and down the value chain. While in the UAE, Minister Bartlett and his team will also meet with representatives of the country’s Tourism Authority to discuss collaboration on tourism investment from the region; Middle East tourism initiatives; and gateway access for North Africa and Asia and facilitation of airlift. There will also be meetings with executives of DNATA Tours, the single largest tour operator in the UAE; members of the Jamaican Diaspora in the UAE; and three major Airlines in the Middle East – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. From the UAE, Minister Bartlett will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will speak at the 5th Anniversary of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). This year’s FII will include in-depth conversations about new global investment opportunities, analysis of industry trends, and unparalleled networking among CEOs, world leaders, and experts. He will be joined by Senator, Hon. Aubyn Hill in his capacity as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, Land, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), the Special Economic Zone Authority of Jamaica and special projects. Minister Bartlett will return to the island on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Source: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/jamaica%27s-tourism-minister-in-talks-with-emirates-airlines-to-introduce-special-flight-to-jamaica

PRESIDENT and CEO of RedPlate Technologies Jamaica Limited, Aldo Antonio is of the view that a vast majority of commercial vehicles with green plates on Jamaica’s roads are losing money because they are either empty or at half capacity. To this end, he proposes that “these owners and/or drivers, as a RedPlate transporter, can avoid losing money on these empty or half-empty trucks by ensuring they have a subscription to RedPlate auto-reloading requests”. By subscribing to the RedPlate platform, commercial vehicle drivers can be assured of finding deliveries that fit their load and location requirements and so earn money from more than one income stream. “From my observations and the research we have conducted on this business segment, the vast majority of these vehicles only make money in one direction of travel. This leaves five other opportunities for income on the table,” he reasoned. Antonio argued further that the need for reliable transportation of goods across the country will continue to grow as the demand for home and business delivery explodes. However, he contends that finding vehicles with underutilised space or capacity, at present, is very difficult. “Think about it, if you need to move or have something delivered with a commercial vehicle, how do you find one? Unless you already have a number, check the directory or, worse, drive around and see if you can find one, you’re not going to get one. And if you do, it may not be the space size, cost and location you’re looking for,” he stated. “With the RedPlate customer app you can find available commercial vehicles in your area fitting the space, size, costs and location you’re looking for and, importantly, you will have choices — which is very important to the customer.” According to Antonio, more than 60 per cent of truck drivers are independent and rely on third-party transportation brokers to connect them with clients. As a result, owners and drivers only earn from one of six income opportunities to make money, recover costs, and make a profit. This inefficiency, he said, results in underutilisation of trucks, which on average are empty 70 per cent of the time, and makes the cost of delivery higher than it needs to be. Moreover, the lack of pricing transparency, and high rate fluctuations for commercial transportation while eliminating middlemen who share referral fees are also chalenges which exist. “Also, since drivers aren’t paid unless they are carrying cargo, job security is low and predictably, turnover among drivers are reported to be high in some areas,” Antonio added. As such, RedPlate is targeting the less-than-truckload segment, a piece of the broader commercial trucking market, so that truckers carry shipments from multiple customers in the same vehicle. “Trucks that move fully loaded are more efficient and profitable than vehicles running partly empty. So getting truckers to…100 per cent capacity on all legs of their journey allows the shippers to save the most money. It’s also where RedPlate truckers will make the most money and it’s where RedPlate will make the most money. The fact is, everybody benefits from this. It’s a win-win all around,” the RedPlate CEO said. Source: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sunday-finance/redplate-technologies-targets-green-plate-vehicles-for-commercial-transport_234298?profile=1056

Superintendent of Pilotage at the Port Authority of Jamaica, Dr. Hortense Ross-Innerarity, is calling for continued collaboration between governments and the shipping community to develop and support initiatives to improve the welfare of seafarers. She said it is important to continue the conversation to engender a culture of awareness, inclusion, acceptance, and recognition of all seafarers, irrespective of gender, nationality, colour, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or rank. “These are known factors that have been and continue to adversely affect the health and well-being of seafarers. They demand our urgent attention,” she said, noting that intervention is required at all levels. Dr. Ross-Innerarity, who is a seafarer, was addressing a recent webinar on seafarers’ welfare hosted by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. Her comments in support of the theme for World Maritime Day 2021, ‘Seafarers at the Core of Shipping’s Future’, were a call to action on behalf of seafarers around the world, whose health and general well-being have been challenged in recent times. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is the United Nations (UN) specialised agency for world maritime affairs, has reported that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put seafarers around the world in precarious situations, with many being stranded at sea beyond the end of their original contracts and unable to be repatriated to their home countries due to travel restrictions. This, the IMO said, has led to a growing humanitarian crisis and significant concerns for the safety of seafarers and shipping. The organisation has intervened by urging its member states to designate seafarers as key workers to facilitate travel between ships that constitute their workplace and their countries of residence. Jamaica is one of the first countries to facilitate this process by making the necessary legislative amendments to the Shipping Act. Dr. Ross-Innerarity, in outlining the work of seafarers and their contribution to the development of the maritime industry, said that they belong to an international group of people with one common purpose, which is to facilitate trade via seaborne transportation. She noted that seafarers serve “in various capacities on different types of ships transporting different types of cargo to different types of ports, at times navigating through adverse weather conditions, heightened maritime security threats and, today, a global pandemic”. The Superintendent of Pilotage said that the act of receiving, stowing, transporting, and delivering cargo safely to a destination port can be considered as the primary objective of the captain and the crew of the vessel. “It means, therefore, that success in international trade and the growth experience within the maritime industry, over the years, have been and continue to be underpinned by the sacrifices and contributions of seafarers globally,” Dr. Ross-Innerarity contended. The IMO has declared 2021 a year of action for seafarers, who are facing unprecedented hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite their vital role as key workers for global supply chains.

RESTAURANTS of Jamaica Limited (ROJ), the company that operates the KFC and Pizza Hut franchises, has widened its delivery network, with the company noting that delivery services through its aggregator partner, KFC have expanded in the past year. Tina Matalon, market manager at ROJ, told the Jamaica Observer that the push forms part the franchisees’ efforts to support the need and demand due to the continued COVID-19 restrictions. “We have expanded delivery to nine locations in Kingston and St Catherine with our aggregator partner. We also service other ENDS-approved delivery providers in parishes currently not covered by our aggregator partner,” she said, explaining why satellite communities in Montego Bay and other communities outside of Kingston can now get Pizza and KFC delivered to their homes. Battling falling revenues as operating hours remain restricted, the company has also expanded into WhatsApp ordering and messenger marketing in an effort to offer easier and convenient access to the brand, said Matalon. “We have completed a successful pilot in Portmore and will continue to expand into KMA [Kingston Metropolitan Area] and the Montego Bay region by Oct 2021.” With limited operating channels, Matalon said the company sees a need to expand the delivery channel to aid in providing additional access and added convenience in servicing the public. To complement the heightened logistical challenges, the company has made an investment in the hardware and software required for integration and execution in point-of-sale systems and restaurant operations. Matalon noted, “We are also continuously working with our aggregator partner to upgrade the service to provide a faster and more accurate solution to delivery.” For KFC and Pizza Hut overall, she outlined, revenues have been significantly reduced throughout all channels given the limitations to operations in the prolonged pandemic. Delivery, Matalon said, accounts for a small percentage of sales and although it continues to grow, is not a significant contributor. There was no revenue increase for the company in the first half of 2021. She outlined, “This is due to tighter operating restrictions and significant cost increases, which resulted in lower performance from January – June 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 which only had the impact of COVID from March through June. “We are hopeful that we will grow and that the economy will be able to safely open up and allow for us to serve our valued customers through all channels, in all restaurants across Jamaica,” the marketing manager said. “Needless to say, increased operating hours, especially on weekends, will be critical for us to drive revenues for the remainder of the year and into 2022. We will, however, continue to adhere to the guidelines of our Government to achieve the right balance for our economy and the safety of our nation.” Matalon commented, “We believe increased vaccinations is the safest solution to getting back to some normalcy. We also encourage our customers and all eligible Jamaicans to get vaccinated and continue to follow all the necessary health and safety protocols so that we can beat this virus.” Source: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-observer/restaurants-of-jamaica-invests-in-logistics-as-home-deliveries-increase_233461?profile=1056

Nigeria is exploring opportunities for greater trade and business linkages with Jamaica, says Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr. Maureen Tamuno. She was speaking at a virtual Service Excellence Conference held on Tuesday (October 5). High Commissioner Tamuno said that since assuming duties in June, she has had several meetings with government ministers and businesspeople to explore opportunities for increased business between the two countries. She noted that Jamaica and Nigeria have been working to strengthen relations in trade, air services and culture since establishing diplomatic ties on April 29, 1970. She said that the Fourth Session of the Nigeria-Jamaica Joint Commission will provide a “formidable platform for rejuvenating existing bilateral agreements and scaling up relations in critical areas of mutual interest”. The event is scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, during the first quarter of 2022. Among the areas of mutual interest between the countries are petroleum and energy, agriculture, trade, tourism and culture, double taxation, consular and immigration matters; establishing a Technical Aid Corps (TAC); and a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). High Commissioner Tamuno said that formalising a new air-service agreement would be a “win-win endeavour for both countries”. “While Jamaica would serve as a gateway for exploring opportunities in the wider Caribbean region by Nigeria, our country would serve the same purpose for Jamaica in Africa,” she pointed out. Further, she said that given Nigeria’s population of about 250 million people, 285 tribes and with more than 500 languages, the two countries would “work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to strengthen ancestral and cultural affinities”. She informed that Nigeria, in collaboration with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), recently organised a free skills training event in head wrapping, beadmaking and batik tie and dye, for young Jamaicans and Nigerians. The two-day Service Excellence Conference, which concludes Wednesday, is part of activities to mark National Customer Service Week from October 3 to 8, under the theme, ‘You…Me…We Got the Power of Service Excellence’. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/nigeria-exploring-business-opportunities-with-jamaica/

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday (October 6), approved the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2021 to allow shareholder meetings to be held virtually or in a hybrid format. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, who piloted the legislative measure in the House of Representatives, noted that the restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) prevented many companies from holding annual general meetings within 15 months of their last meeting, as mandated by Section 126 Subsection 1 of the Companies Act. The DRMA Enforcement Measures Order 2021 includes a restriction on public gatherings and requires persons to maintain various distances apart from each other as part of COVID-19-prevention measures. Minister Shaw said that since many companies had more shareholders than the number of persons permitted by the DRMA to gather, those companies were unable to hold in-person general meetings in compliance with the Act, noting that this poses the possibility of sanctions being imposed. “Considering the above, a decision was taken to amend the Companies Act, so as to strengthen the existing legislation in order to provide for the holding of any general meeting, such as an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting, as a virtual-only meeting completely electronic or a hybrid meeting – a combination of in-person and virtual, where this is not expressly prohibited by the articles of a company,” he said. Mr. Shaw said it also seeks to empower the Registrar of Companies to grant an extension of time for the holding of an annual general meeting on the application of a director of a company or any member who is entitled to vote at the meeting, where an order has been made under the DRMA or a proclamation has been made by the Governor-General declaring a period of public disaster or a period of public emergency under Section 20 of the Constitution of Jamaica. He added, too, that it will provide for conditions necessary for the holding of hybrid meetings or completely electronic meetings, which ensures participation of all members in attendance. “The primary and overarching purpose of these amendments is to be able to accommodate the difficulties and unprecedented nature of the time that we are operating in and to allow companies to continue to be able to abide by the rules and this allows them to have completely virtual meetings or hybrid meetings,” Minister Shaw said. In supporting the amendments, Leader of Opposition, Mark Golding, said they are necessary and urgent. “In the interim, individual companies whose annual general meetings are due would have had to go case by case to the Registrar to ask for exemptions. In a situation where you have had such widescale disaster as we have experienced during this pandemic, it really calls for a mechanism to allow for a general management of the situation, and the amendment allows for that to happen,” he said. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/house-approves-amendments-to-companies-act/

Minister of Transport and Mining Hon. Robert Montague has welcomed the newest player in the field of general aviation in Jamaica, Amber Aviation. The entity will provide a mix of offerings to clients to include ultralight flying experiences, a jet share programme, and domestic flights. Ultralight aviation, also called microlight aviation, is the flying of lightweight, one or two-seat fixed-wing aircraft which is used largely in sightseeing and recreation. The Minister was speaking at a soft launch of Amber Aviation at the Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) in Boscobel, St. Mary on Friday (October 8). “I want to on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica congratulate [Amber Aviation Chief Executive Officer] Dushyant [Savadia] for this venture that he is doing and to introduce this kind of attraction in our tourism product,” Minister Montague said. The Minister who was taken on what Amber Aviation described as the first ultralight flight in Jamaica following the launch, explained that it was an opportunity to leverage domestic tourism in Jamaica. “It is not only for the overseas tourist but there has been, since the pandemic, a very healthy and strong infusion of Jamaicans taking their vacations right here in Jamaica and discovering some things that only our overseas visitors have discovered,” Minister Montague said, adding that the Ministry of Transport and Mining is very happy to support the venture. He thanked the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) Director-General Mr. Nari Williams-Singh and his team for working through the challenges to ensure that Amber Aviation satisfied the safety aspect and the other requirements of the legislation. He also congratulated the Airports Authority of Jamaica for being very creative in dealing with the safety and security aspects of the certification process. The Minister pointed out that IFIA, which is an international airport, observes security regulations that are mandatory. “The AAJ stepped up to the plate and did what had to be done to ensure that we satisfy the needs of our client, Amber Aviation, and to satisfy the international security requirements of an international airport,” Minister Montague declared. The Minister also expressed that MTM is overjoyed that Amber Aviation will domicile its operations at IFIA, “therefore adding to the offerings of Ian Fleming, to make this facility more economical”. Amber Aviation will also be providing a jet share programme that is aimed at satisfying the need for the service which has seen a large uptick since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In responding to the massive jump in private jet share aviation services which makes private jet flying economic and affordable, Amber Aviation will launch Jamaica’s first fractional jet share programme which will be open to businesses and individuals. Mr. Savadia said that it is his ambition for Jamaica “to create low-cost economic travel within the country without breaking the bank. The more people move, the more the economy flows because then more food is sold, more drinks are sold, the more transportation is used”. The venture is expected to provide employment, enhance the tourism product, and have a positive impact on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Source: https://jis.gov.jm/transport-minister-welcomes-amber-aviation/