Jamaica is welcoming more new flights than almost any other Caribbean destination.
And now it’s welcomed another one.
The island added another new route to its broadening air network with Spirit Airlines’ new nonstop service between Hartford, Conn. and Montego Bay, Jamaica.
It’s the first-ever nonstop flight from Connecticut to Jamaica, connecting a strong source market with the sizzling destination. It’s also part of a wider trend for the Caribbean, which is starting to cultivate air routes from cities outside traditional markets like New York, Miami and Chicago. That means flights like American’s newly-launched service from Austin, Texas to Montego Bay — or Bahamasair’s new route from Raleigh, North Carolina to Grand Bahama.
The new nonstop service from Hartford to Jamaica is operating four times each week; it will be operating year-round, Jamaican officials confirmed.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome the inaugural flight by Spirit from Connecticut to Jamaica, providing us with further reach into the key Northeastern U.S.,” said Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “The expansion of our partnership with Spirit Airlines is a welcome addition to our airlift arrangements as we continue our drive to further boost the flow of visitors to Jamaica through the addition of new gateways and greater seat support.”
Spirit also operates flights to Jamaica from American cities including Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
The inaugural flight from Hartford this weekend was welcomed by a water cannon salute and a lively Jamaican mento in the terminal.
“This new non-stop service provides yet another convenient option for visitors to get to our beautiful island,” added Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. “It is wonderful to see so many people on board the very first flight, indicating strong demand for Jamaica from the Connecticut area.”
Jamaica has been seeing new flights from a wave of carriers this year, from JetBlue Airways to Frontier Airlines to European airlines like NEOS, which just brought back the only air route between Italy and Jamaica.
And it’s not just American carriers: Canadian airlines have added a record number of seats for the upcoming peak season, with more than 283,000 seats out of Canada for the winter. That’s a nearly 10 percent jump over the same period in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic.
According to data from Expedia, Jamaica is one of the most-searched-for destinations for the upcoming tourist season, led by the popular destination of Ocho Rios on the island’s northern coast, accessed through the Montego Bay air hub.