Earlier this year, it was announced that Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines would be absorbing troubled Air Jamaica, with a target date of April 12. According to The Gleaner‘s Arthur Hall, the date of Air Jamaica’s divestment has now been pushed back to April 30. The chief cause of the delay is the US Department of Transportation’s unwillingness to automatically extend Air Jamaica’s Open Skies Agreement to Caribbean Airlines.

A quick perusal of the Jamaican media turns up all sorts of interesting observations on Air Jamaica’s situation, among them: to which other airlines Air Jamaica pilots are being lured away; Bahamanian carrier Western Air’s announcement of replacement routes linking Jamaica and the Bahamas; and negotiations—or lack thereof—with the affected trade unions.

The complete absorption of Air Jamaica by Caribbean Airlines will take several months. Air Jamaica has promised that the transition will be seamless and shall present no difficulties for Air Jamaica passengers. We hope they’re right, and we hope for a speedy resolution of the US Department of Transportation issue as well.