Seventy-five Jamaican pilots to lose their jobs

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaican pilots employed to CARIBAL Limited — the Caribbean Airlines subsidiary — are to lose their jobs come next month.

The Jamaica Airline Pilots’ Association (JALPA) announced this afternoon that the positions of all the pilots are to be made redundant.
Caribbean Airlines and Air Jamaica were integrated into one airline in July last year.

At the time of the Air Jamaica takeover, the Jamaican pilots were assigned to CARIBAL.  It is understood that the decision to make the positions of the CARIBAL pilots redundant will affect 75 Jamaicans.  Our sources say there is the likelihood that about 60 pilots could be rehired.

There are also reports that Caribbean Airlines could be doing away with the Air Jamaica brand.  This afternoon we were not able to reach Charmaine DaCosta, a Caribbean Airlines vice president for a comment on the matter.  We were also unable to reach the transport minister Dr Omar Davies.