AIR JAMAICA said yesterday it has activated its emergency response team in anticipation of Hurricane Ivan.

The national airline said that it has put extensive plans in place to adjust flight schedules in order to ensure the safety of passengers and that there are as few disruptions to service as possible.

This afternoon, all departures from Montego Bay will operate. Flight JM001 to London will depart two hours earlier. It will leave Kingston at 7:20 p.m. and from Montego Bay at 8:50 p.m..

JM039 will depart Kingston from Fort Lauderdale at 6:00 p.m.; JM095 will depart Montego Bay for St. Lucia, Antigua and New York as scheduled and due to hurricane damage in Grenada, JM093 will be rerouted from Montego Bay to Barbados, St. Lucia and New York.

The following flights on Thursday will be cancelled: JM024 and JM025 between Miami, Montego Bay and Kingston, JM065/064 and JM067/066 to and from Bonaire and Curacao and Air Jamaica Express Flights 365 and 364 between Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE ADJUSTED

The airline said it has an extensive plan to adjust the flight schedule for tomorrow, and will continue to issue advisories as it monitors the hurricane.

Passengers are being asked to monitor the media for updates.

In the meantime, the United States Embassy has announced its closure today and tomorrow due to "anticipated extreme weather conditions". Conse-quently, all visa interviews scheduled for both days are cancelled and visa pick-ups should be rescheduled for next week. The embassy is asking visa applicants to reschedule their appointments at the website: http://usembassy.state.gov/kingston

American citizens in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands who require emergency assistance during or after the storm should contact the U.S. Embassy at 876-935-6000.

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