By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica is set to receive thousands of additional seats for the upcoming winter tourist season, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

That includes more 38,000 more seats on flights out of the United States; 42,400 additional seats on flights from Canada, a record for the island, and 12,000 more seats to Jamaica from Continental Europe.

“We are also expecting LATAM Airlines to commence early next year, and that will be a huge connection for us out of Lima (Peru), which is a major gateway in South America,” Bartlett said.

Swoop is one of the airlines launching new service to Jamaica.

Bartlett, who was addressing this week’s Jamaica Product Exchange conference in Montego Bay, said another 7,455 seats were coming out of the United Kingdom and Northern Europe.

“We are also going to be increasing connectivity with France. In fact, we are going to France very soon to tie up an arrangement to ensure that there will be air connectivity from Paris into Montego Bay, Jamaica,” Bartlett said.

The news comes as another carrier, Canada’s new Swoop airline, announced plans to launch its first-ever flights to Jamaica.

— CJ