KINGSTON, Jamaica – Air Jamaica is increasing its seat capacity from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to both Barbados and Grenada, effective April 1, 2008.
Paul Pennicook, Air Jamaica’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, announced that the Caribbean carrier will continue to serve the New York-Barbados route with daily non-stop flights, upgrading the existing A-320 Airbus aircraft to the larger A-321 which carries an additional 38 seats. “Barbados will continue to have the most convenient schedule to the island from the northeast United States – we’ll be first on the beach and last off the beach,” said Pennicook, who explained that the fully dedicated Barbados flights from New York and Jamaica will not be shared with any other Eastern Caribbean nation.
The airline executive explained that the new schedule also opens up daily non-stop flights between Barbados and Kingston, Jamaica – an important and profitable intra-Caribbean business route. “These changes are in keeping with our mandate for a leaner, viable airline,” said Pennicook, who added that onward connections from Kingston to the United States will also be possible.
Air Jamaica will now serve Grenada with four weekly non-stop A-320 flights from New York, before continuing non-stop to Kingston. The airline will operate a fully dedicated Grenada service from New York on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and return to New York on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. All flights continue from Grenada to Kingston, except on Wednesdays when the service returns non-stop to New York. “We are excited about bringing more seats into both Barbados and Grenada,” said Pennicook, who assured that connections to and from Miami via Kingston, which is an important service for Grenada, will continue to be “smooth and seamless”.
Pennicook reassured passengers that while the Jamaican national carrier restructures, it remains committed to serving the Eastern Caribbean. “The new schedule into Barbados and Grenada presents an exciting marketing opportunity for the airline and the destinations to command a greater share of traditional tourist and Diaspora business,” he said, underscoring that the carrier also valued the loyalty of Barbadians, Grenadians and other Caribbean nationals who join Air Jamaica flights in the Caribbean.
