Fly Jamaica prepares to take to the skies

Fly Jamaica has now received final approval to take to the skies and will launch its first flight as a charter.

Director of Fly Jamaica, Christine Steel, said the airline also plans to set up its schedule for customers to start booking its service.

She acknowledged that the airline is entering a fairly competitive market...but said Fly Jamaica will distinguish itself through service.

“We plan to do full service on our flight, meals, everything…we are not getting into low fares , we plan to do first class service, first class in economy -  meals, bars, everything on our flight, all the bookings will be done on our website which will be open shortly”

AIR CANADA - Discount carrier

Meanwhile, Air Canada is launching a new discount carrier, Rouge, that will begin flying July 1, with a focus on holiday destinations in Europe and the Caribbean. 

Rouge will begin its first flights borrowing aircraft from Air Canada's main fleet, but plans to eventually, expand to 50 planes by 2014

The airline says it will start with "special introductory fares" including to Jamaica.The airline plans to keep the fares low by paying lower wages to airline staff and squeezing up to 20 per cent more seats into its planes.

 Air Canada says it needs a low-cost carrier to hold on to market share in a field crowded with other vacation-oriented carriers such as Transat, Sunwing and WestJet Airlines.