KINGSTON – The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), one of several trade unions representing workers at the cash-strapped national airline, Air Jamaica, is calling for a speedy end to negotiations regarding the sale of the carrier.

“Air Jamaica is at the stage where it is in bad need of capital and that capital could only come from an investor,” said BITU president Kavan Gayle.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding told parliament earlier this month that a deal with a preferred bidder had fallen through and the Trinidad and Tobago owned Caribbean Airlines, which had modified its previous bid, had expressed interest in buying Air Jamaica. He said talks were taking place in earnest.

Air Jamaica, which has accumulated losses of US$1.2 billion, has been on the selling block since 2007, but Government has not been able to find a buyer.

Golding, who flew to Trinidad to discuss the matter with a team from Caribbean Airlines two weeks ago, said he has been having telephone conversation with Prime Minister Patrick Manning, concerning the possible deal.

“Caribbean Airlines has a view and a vision of one Caribbean and one airline serving the entire Caribbean. We have indicated to them that one Caribbean is wonderful and that is fine but we are a tourist destination … tourism is part of our lifeblood,” Golding told legislators.

Gayle said that his union “sincerely hopes that within a reasonable time the government will be able to broker a deal with Caribbean Airlines”.

He said that the negotiations which had been ongoing regarding the sale of the airline had collapsed “because of the extended period which it took to materialize”.

Sources said that some of the conditions for the divestment are that the Air Jamaica brand must be maintained, adequate airlift must be provided for the island and the selected partner must have extensive airline experience, matched with the appropriate capital.

Caribbean Airlines began operations on January 1, 2007, replacing the cash-strapped national airline BWIA. (CMC)