Jamaica Signs 15 Air Services Agreements

Jamaica’s Free Air Policy will get a boost from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Conference which ended on Friday (July 2), with the signing of 15 Air Services Agreement with member states at the Conference.
There was high praise for the International Conference on Air Services Negotiations (ICAN) which took place during the ICAO, as all the delegates reported success in finalizing Air Services agreements and arrangements over the period.
The conference, which was held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Montego Bay June 28 to July 2, hosted over 150 delegates from 40 member states, who participated in over 200 meetings. Over 60 Air Services agreements and arrangements were signed during the conference.
Director in ICAO Regional Office in Mexico City, Loretta Martin, at the closing press conference thanked the Jamaican Government and the civil aviation authority for hosting it, and the delegates for the work achieved.
“Congratulations to all of you for the outstanding work and results that we have seen from this very intense week, and I certainly congratulate you all on behalf of the Secretary General and all of the ICAO staff,” she stated.
Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Mike Henry, who had declared the conference open on June 28, also addressed the closing press conference, during which he emphasized that the Government of Jamaica has placed great importance on the conference.
“This evening is not only about Jamaica, it is more about every country that’s visiting here, it’s more about whether you leave here satisfied that you have achieved something by being in Jamaica: That in each country, in exchanging your own developmental process, you would have recognised that the aeronautical outreach is perhaps the most important outreach in the world,” he stated.
He said that as Jamaica moves to build out its multi-modal transportation system, with the aim of being a global transportation hub, every regional carrier would stand to benefit from the expansion.