Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

President of the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), Audley Deidrick, says Jamaica’s airport traffic is set to hit five million passengers by the end of this year, given the rapid drive phase of the recovery of the island’s travel and tourism industry from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While speaking recently at an MBJ Airports Limited-hosted forum to provide an update on the airport’s initiatives and other projects aimed at recovery, Deidrick said when the pandemic hit, aviation traffic fell to almost zero in June 2020.

On July 15 of that year, the Government reopened the national borders to aviation traffic on a phased basis.

Deidrick said despite the resumption of incoming passenger traffic, the best forecast for aviation recovery was set at five to six years.

However, he said Jamaica’s recovery has far exceeded expectations, with 2021 seeing some 3.4 million passengers arriving.

“This current year, 2022, has shown the sharpest climb on the recovery curve, and hence my characterising this year as the rapid drive phase of the recovery process,” he said.

“From a sluggish start in the first quarter of 2020, our aviation traffic driven as usual by tourism traffic, which represents over 80 per cent, has taken on a rapid growth such that for the month of May and June (this year), the traffic for MBJ (Montego Bay) has equalled that of the corresponding months of 2019,” Diedrick outlined.

Based on the sharp uptick in passenger arrivals, he remains cautiously optimistic that Jamaica’s aviation traffic will fully recover three years earlier than expected.

“Based on this aggressive rate of growth of 2022, the current forecast is for Jamaica’s aviation traffic to hit five million passengers or 77 per cent of the 2019 level by December 2022,” Diedrick indicated.

“Furthermore, given the forecast for 2022, it is now expected that Jamaica’s aviation traffic will hit the 2019 level of 6.5 million passengers by December 2023. This is instead of the forecasted timeline of 2025-2026 – all of three years earlier,” stated the AAJ president.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The highly anticipated sentencing of the fitness trainer who confessed to terrorising several women by sexually assaulting and robbing them in Portmore, St Catherine over a period of time, has again been delayed.

Chaddane Harris, who is also a gym instructor, was expected to be sentenced by High Court Judge, Justice Bertram Morrison, in the St Catherine Circuit Court on Thursday.

However, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation for the confessed sexual predator.

The sentencing has been rescheduled for October 11 to facilitate the evaluation being conducted, and the subsequent report being prepared and submitted to the prosecution and defence.

This is the second time that Harris’ sentencing has been delayed after he pleaded guilty in April to six counts of rape and four counts of grievous sexual assault.

Additionally, he pleaded guilty to nine counts of burglary and larceny, and one count of wounding with intent. The latter offence involved Harris stabbing one of his female victims.

The convict was further remanded in custody until October.

The allegations are that several women who were mainly single, were preyed upon by Harris between 2014 and 2019 in several communities in Portmore.

His modus operandi involved him holding up his victims at knifepoint, then sexually assaulting them and later robbing them of their personal items.

In one case, Harris stabbed a bank employee multiple times.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

UV Vibe 2022 was an awesome celebration.

That was the general consensus as Loop interviewed patrons during and after UV at La Belle Lawns in Lower Estate, St George on Sunday, July 24.

Patrons had four food stations to choose from with the two main food buffets being catered by Tim’s Restaurant and the second by Sweetfield Manor. The others were provided by two sponsors.

There were at least nine bars at the all-inclusive breakfast party and therefore, patrons did not have to contend with long lines throughout the course of the morning. According to one interviewee: “I gaw control my eating… too much food!”

UV patrons truly feted from night to morning, from 2am to just after 10am. They saw the food dishes transition from breakfast to brunch and then lunch. There was even a tea and coffee station that offered Lucozade energy drinks once the sun came up.

SunMix girls along with Campari and Hennessy drink runners walked the crowd and kept the snacks and drinks flowing directly to patrons around the venue in their pumping spots.

And the icing on the proverbial cake for organiser Mario Turton was surprise shots for his birthday with Hypasounds, Fadda Fox and others on stage. Then though playing stage shy, he was back quickly on stage jumping with Fadda Fox as he sang “Do you remember UV in Prior Park? Ahhhhh!”

Watch the video to see how the vibes were up all morning long.

Video credit: @BeKerriedAway

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