BOAC, Britain's major international airline at the time, and BWIA had continued to maintain the leased aircraft (this operating arrangement would not expire until the end of May 1969).

Flights were added to Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL) in Canada, to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia (PHL) and many other destinations, especially across the Caribbean.

[citation needed] In 1983, Air Jamaica was operating nonstop Boeing 747-100 jumbo jet service between Kingston and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with this flight continuing on from London to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) and was also flying nonstop Airbus A300 service between Kingston and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City.

[4] In 1989, the Jamaican government announced plans for the privatization of the airline, which had been fully state owned since Air Canada divested its 40 percent shareholding in 1980.

[citation needed] A merger of Air Jamaica with other Caribbean airlines was already being proposed, with British Airways invited to take a 25 percent holding in the venture.

[9] On 17 December 2009, it was reported that the Prime Minister of Jamaica had recently approached the government of Trinidad and Tobago regarding a possible merger or acquisition by Caribbean Airlines.

[10] It was decided that Air Jamaica would cease to operate under Jamaican ownership and be primarily run by Caribbean Airlines until the transitional process was complete.

[2] The acquisition by Caribbean Airlines also gave the company exclusive rights to the Air Jamaica name for one year, with options for annual renewal.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered in Trinidad and Tobago, bore elements of Air Jamaica's original livery along with alterations to align the corporate identity with Caribbean Airlines.

According to the October 1999 Air Jamaica route map,[17] in the U.S. the airline had added Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BWI), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR) and Orlando (MCO) to its route network and was still serving Chicago (ORD), Miami (MIA), New York City (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Dallas (DFW) and Houston (IAH).

This Air Jamaica route map also indicates the airline had discontinued service to Frankfurt (FRA) and Zurich (ZRH) in Europe but was still serving London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

In the Caribbean, Air Jamaica had added service to Barbados (BGI), Bonaire (BON), Grenada (GND), Havana (HAV) and St. Lucia (UVF) and was continuing to serve Grand Cayman (GCM).

This Air Jamaica route map also indicates the airline was operating a hub at Montego Bay (MBJ) in addition to its Kingston (KIN) service.