[KINGSTON, Jamaica] – Continuing the strong rebound of its tourism sector, Jamaica welcomed a total of seven thousand air passengers arriving into Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) last Saturday (Dec. 11). This is a new record number of air arrivals to the airport in one day since reopening the island’s borders in June 2020.
Strong Demand For Jamaica
“Receiving such a large number of air passengers into our largest airport in just one day is a clear indication that demand for Jamaica’s tourism product remains strong,” said Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. “As predicted based on feedback from several of our key international tourism partners, we are progressing well on our path to recovery and expect to welcome approximately 1.5 million visitors this year. This is largely due to the success of our comprehensive JAMAICA CARES program that ensures travelers feel safe and confident in choosing our island for their visits.”
Record Breaking Arrivals
On Saturday, Jamaica received a total of 52 flights from commercial, charter and private aircraft into Montego Bay (MBJ). Commercial airlines that landed represented nearly all carriers flying into the destination and included: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit, and Sun Country from the U.S. as well as Air Canada, Air Transat, West Jet, Sunwing, Swoop and West Jet from Canada. Most flights also arrived with strong load factors.
To meet the higher demand for Jamaica, American Airlines recently up gauged the aircraft utilized on flights to Montego Bay (MBJ) from their major city hubs of Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), and Philadelphia (PHL). As of November, the carrier is utilizing their new wide-bodied Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for these operations. Other tourism partners that had noted increased demand for Jamaica in the near-term included Southwest Airlines, Expedia, and Amadeus.
Jamaica remains open for travel and continues to welcome visitors safely. Its health and safety protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels recognition that allowed the destination to safely reopen to travel in June 2020. The island has also recently announced new cruise developments and ninety percent of planned tourist investments remaining on track.
