Jack committed to CAL-Air Jamaica deal; declares, "This merger cannot fail!"

Transport Minister Jack Warner, his Permanent Secrery Cheryl Blackman and CAL Chairman George Nicholas III at the Pegasus Friday night for the CAL-Air Jamaica launch

Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner said on Friday night that the merger between Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) and Air Jamaica has presented "One Airline, One Vision, and One Caribbean."

Speaking at the ballroom at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Warner said the merger embraces the Caribbean as a united front, where the politicians had failed before.

He recalled the 1961 collapse of the West Indies Federation when the Premier of Trinidad and Tobago at the time, Dr Eric Williams said :"One from ten leaves nought". Warner said the West Indian Federation failed, "but this merger cannot fail."

Warner apologised to Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, for the absence Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He said she had to remain at home to pilot a bill which would outlaw the Privy Council case of Pratt and Morgan, which has given countries five years within which to executive convicted killers.

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Warner said he has no doubt that the merger between CAL and Air Jamaica would work. "It is a win-win situation for all. I assure you that Air Jamaica would maintain its brand. You have struggled too long to make Air Jamaica what it is. You would have been foolish to do otherwise," the minister stated.

"My business sense tells me this is a good deal, and I assure you, this is a good deal."

He said he was pleased to hear from CAL Chairman, George Nicholas III, that with the next six months Air Jamaica would resume flights to London's Heathrow International Airport.

He did not state if CAL would do the same but wondered why the previous Government of Trinidad and Tobago sold its two slots at Heathrow "for a paultry two million pounds when we were swimming in money? I want to know why they were sold. We will turn history on its head, and we will be there," he said.

The rebranded Air Jamaica planes, with the CAL logo, would begin service from Saturday with the first flight from the Norman Manley International Airport to Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada.

Warner called the Jamaican Prime Minister "a brave man" to divest the old Air Jamaica. "I am not prepared to lose on this deal. We are in it together, we will not fail, we are partners - One airline, one vision, one Caribbean," he declared.

In his address to the packed ballroom, Golding praised the CAL Board, and Warner in particular, for ensuring that the survival of Air Jamaica. "This is a significant day for Jamaica and the Caribbean," Golding added. He also praised the the previous Arthur Lok Jack board.

The Jamaican leader said he had some serious concerns about whether the deal would go ahead following the change of government but noted that after speaking with Warner, through Jamaica Football Association President, Captain Horace Burrell, he was assured that the merger would take place.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had also assured Golding in July that her government would honour the agreement negotiated by the previous administration.