Airlines on preflight testing

of this protocol not just for Jamaica but for the entire Caribbean,” the release quotes Stewart, who is also chairman of the Jamaica Observer.

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, along with Minister of Tourism and Aviation for The Bahamas Dionisio D’aguilar have also both hailed the move, which Ambassador Marks feels has significant implications not just for tourism, but, too, for other key sectors of the economy that have been negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

Chairman of Caricom Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, agrees.

“We are pleased that American Airlines has taken the lead to initiate this exciting COVID-19 pre-departure testing programme. The Caribbean Community welcomes this important progress to reopen markets with the health and safety of our citizens being of paramount importance, and we’ll be monitoring this programme very closely as it ramps up in our region,” Gonsalves said.

American Airlines President Robert Isom said the carrier remains committed to tackling the challenge and reimagining how it delivers a safe and healthy travel experience for its customers.

“Our plan for this initial phase of preflight testing reflects the ingenuity and care our team is putting into rebuilding confidence in air travel, and we view this as an important step in our work to accelerate an eventual recovery of demand,” the release quotes Isom.

Gary Sadler, senior vice-president of sales for Unique Vacations, the worldwide representative for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, said the move by American Airlines is a bold one in the current environment, and provides a great level of confidence for people wanting to travel, particularly from North America.