Above: an American Airlines flight

By the Caribbean Journal staff

American Airlines officials have pledged not to end their 38-year relationship with Barbados despite the company’s merger talks with US Airways, according to Barbados Tourism Minister Richard Sealy.

Sealy said in a government release that AA’s recent decision to replace the 757 aircraft with a 737 on its service from New York to Barbados was a move that “was intended to ensure the viability of the service to Barbados.”

“We are assured, that in spite of merger discussions with US Airways, that the Kennedy flight would continue and I think that is a good thing from more than the perspective of tourism,” he said. “We have a huge diaspora in New York, and summer is the time of year when people will want to come home to visit or participate in the Crop Over festival.”

Sealy said talks were also being held on the resumption of flights from the Southwestern United States, including the Dallas flight, which Sealy said “had worked well for us — not only from the point of view of getting the business out there, but as a means of taking the pressure off of the two Miami flights.”

“AA has assured us that they will not pull any flights without discussing it with us,” he said, following a meeting with American Airlines officials in Miami.