THE EDITOR, Sir:
AIR JAMAICA'S and BWIA's announcements of their financial dilemma have fuelled much noise in the marketplace re the necessity of establishing a single regional carrier.
Though the intellectual bantering is seemingly more intense than previously, the issue is nothing new. For more than three decades, wise tourism practitioners, and scholars have advocated the merger of Caribbean airlines. Enough with the talk though, the time for action is upon us.
The financial crisis gripping the regional airline industry presents us with the opportunity to once and for all rid ourselves of foreign dependence via the creation of a formidable self-sustaining airline capable of effectively and profitably competing on the international arena. Our failure to move swiftly and decisively towards improved economies of scale with its simultaneous benefit of operational cost reduction will prove even more astronomical to the already over burdened taxpayers.
We simply cannot be continuously expected to bail out ailing airlines whose self-serving CEOs are not willing to accept that rationalisation and integration (based on numerous studies), represent the only way to achieve fleet and route expansion that will invariably lead to improved competitiveness in pricing and reduction in fuel and maintenance cost. In essence, regional integration has potential to lead to an improved balance sheet and a reduce reliance on the public coffers. Tourism's continued success depends among other things on one key factor, accessibility.
The lessons of the past should have taught us that foreign dominance of our skies may potentially place us in an economic stranglehold. As it is now, the major international carriers determine when, where, and how often to fly to a particular destination, if at all, thereby holding us to ransom. As dependent as we are on tourism for our survival, we cannot continue to allow the Delta, American and British Airways, (among others) to dictate what destinations become hotspots and which ones will flop.
The long and short of this increasing contentious issue is that Jamaica and her CARICOM partners are too dependent on the mighty tourist dollar for us to continue dancing to the tunes of a few self-serving individuals. Insularity led us to reject federation almost 50 years ago. Hindsight, however, is 20/20. One from 10 [still] leaves nought.
I am, etc.,
BENNIE WATSON
sabelia@yahoo.com
Japan
Via Go-Jamaica
