The plan was , as of November 2022 , American Airlines , under its American Eagle Regional Brand , was going to operate non-stop flights from Miami in the United States to the Ian Fleming International Airport , St. Mary, Jamaica.
On March 31, 2022 , Jamaican Minister of Tourism , Hon Edmund Bartlett had welcomed the decision by American Airlines to introduce twice weekly non-stop flights out of USA Miami, but apparently they have to wait for another six to seven months before the Aircraft makes a landing there.
During that period , American Airlines had released a statement saying they were excited ,
“American Airlines is excited to officially announce new service to Ocho Rios – Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ)! We plan to operate two times weekly from Miami using an Envoy E-175 aircraft.”
Minister Bartlett had termed the plan as a game changer ,
“This is a game-changer for Jamaica’s tourism but especially for the Ocho Rios area which has been looking forward to such a development for quite some time,” “It also justifies the vision that we had in expanding the airport,” he added.
The Press Release by American Airlines for the November 22 Flight Plan.
It's a Technical shortfall , American Airlines has requested for additional Air Navigation Services to operate it's Aircraft to and from Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA).
On Friday , the Government of Jamaica announced that , November 2022 plans will have to be postponed , despite its possible efforts to start the scheduled international flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to the Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) .
The statement issued by the Government reads,
“The AAJ and the JCAA, has been working with American Airlines (AA) to begin scheduled international flights from Miami, Florida to the Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) in Boscobel in November 2022, as announced earlier this year. "
"Since the time of the announcement, AA has been working with the AAJ and the JCAA towards ensuring that all the necessary regulatory and supporting structures and arrangements are in place to facilitate the flight,” the statement read. “However, despite continued work to make this a reality, an agreement was reached to postpone the launch of the service to a later date than originally announced.”
Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) , Boscobel .
The statement briefed that the decision was taken in consultation with the Jamaican Authorities, to allow for additional Air Navigation Services, requested by American Airlines to be provided at the Ian Flemming facility.
Though exact details of the required additional facility in the airport are not being revealed, the additional Air Navigation aids are to ensure the consistency of service during periods of unstable weather conditions after commencement of operation.
Government has noted in it's statement that what was needed currently exceeds what now exists at the airport,
“Some specific requirements regarding flight navigational aids, which currently exceed what now exists at the IFIA, were outlined by AA. This is to ensure consistency of service during periods of unstable weather conditions, after commencement of operation,” the GOJ statement read. “Notwithstanding all the stakeholders' best efforts, the implementation of these additional measures to meet AA’s requirements would take another 6-7 months.”
Onus is on the Ministry of Transport and Mining of the country now , which says , it is,
“committed to having the outstanding measures addressed within this timeline, while keeping the relevant parties abreast of the progress, to ensure that planning and implementation can be synchronised.”
“The collective decision of American Airlines, the AAJ and JCAA is to ensure that we maintain proper international standards for the safety of crew and passengers,” the statement continued.
After the latest development , It is now expected that the additional Navigational requirements will be ready only by April 2023 and American Airlines has promised to announce a new commencement date for it's proposed inaugural flight.
It is also being expected that Flights into Ian Fleming will increase access to the zone stretching from Oracabessa, St. Mary to Port Antonio, Portland, which the Jamaican Government is looking to develop to cater to higher-end travellers.
