MAYDAY!

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica’s general aviation sector is in steep decline, weakened by outdated regulations, high operating costs and what industry stakeholders describe as a policy environment that has failed to recognise the sector’s economic and strategic value.

The Jamaica Aircraft Operators and Pilots Association (JAOPA) says the industry, once central to domestic connectivity, pilot training and emergency response, is now “on life support”, with only three operators and a single civilian flying school remaining — the Aviation School of the West Indies.

JAOPA points to the closure last year of two long-established operators, Airways International and Island Hopper — one of which had operated for more than 40 years – as a major blow. The exits led to job losses, fewer training opportunities and the erosion of decades of institutional knowledge.

The crisis was compounded by damage from Hurricane Melissa to the General Aviation Terminal at Sangster International Airport. The facility houses cargo operators, Customs, aircraft maintenance services and general aviation operators, and also accommodates the agricultural quarantine export division, which has been out of operation since the storm.

JAOPA said the damage rendered the terminal’s upper floors unusable and that tenants were given summary notices to vacate. The association argued that the displacement occurred without adequate consideration of the economic impact or logistical challenges facing already strained operators.

According to JAOPA, the sector’s decline is the result of years of systemic challenges. While aviation policy has largely focused on commercial carriers, the regulatory framework has proven ill-suited to smaller domestic operators. High fees, complex compliance requirements and limited access to financing have made sustainability increasingly difficult.

General aviation extends beyond scheduled airlines to include on-demand air taxis, flight training, aerial survey and photography, agricultural aviation, emergency services and unmanned aircraft systems – all essential to national resilience but, JAOPA says, poorly supported.

At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jamaica had commuter airlines, multiple flying schools and domestic services linking Kingston, Montego Bay and Negril. Today, the aircraft registry stands at just six aircraft, far below previous decades and neighbouring Cayman Islands, which has more than 100 registered aircraft.

JAOPA argues that the collapse of domestic airlift has driven up travel costs, reduced connectivity and turned what was once an efficient transport option into a luxury.

Despite its struggles, the sector has demonstrated its value in crises. After Hurricane Melissa, volunteer non-profit Operation Airdrop conducted 22 flights, delivering more than 20,000 pounds of relief supplies to affected communities.

JAOPA says revitalising general aviation could strengthen tourism, disaster preparedness and agriculture, while helping to stem brain drain by creating well-paying technical careers.

The association is calling for regulatory reform to modernise aviation rules, improved access to financing — noting that Jamaica has signed but not ratified the Cape Town Convention – a review of aviation-related fees, and investment in general aviation infrastructure.

Failure to act, JAOPA warns, could affect tourism, exports, emergency response and skilled employment. Rebuilding the sector, it argues, is no longer optional but strategic.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com