Air Jamaica continues to make steady improvements in its operation performance, announcing marked achievements for the month of April 2009. During the period, the airline completed 100 percent of scheduled flights with no cancellations and sold 82 percent of all available seats, resulting in a record load factor. Additionally, on-time performance was 50 percent better than April 2008.

“Air Jamaica’s success in improving performance comes at an important time for Jamaica’s tourism,” said The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism. “We’re proving to the international travel industry that both the airline and the country are working hard to maintain the level of vibrancy needed to achieve gains, even in a tough market.”

“The load factor of 82 percent is a significant achievement for this period. That this happened in the month of our 40th Anniversary makes it even more important to us,” said Bruce Nobles, the airline’s President and CEO. “This is about our capabilities as much as it is about our commitment to making sure that Air Jamaica beats these tough times and emerges in a better position than we’ve ever been.”

Further highlighting growing passenger demand for seats on the airline, Air Jamaica has announced increased summer flight schedules from several of its U.S. gateways. The airline will add two more weekly flights between New York and Grenada and a fourth daily flight between New York and Jamaica. From Fort Lauderdale, the carrier added a fifth daily flight to Jamaica; added two weekly flights between Orlando and Jamaica; and increased to daily service between Toronto and Jamaica.