Southwest Airlines is adding a new nonstop route to the tourism hotspot of Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The carrier is adding its first-ever flights between Kansas City International Airport in Missouri and Montego Bay.
The new flight will kick off on Oct. 7, 2023, with service operating once weekly on Saturdays. The route is already available for reservations.
“It is very gratifying to welcome this new route by Southwest as we continue to grow our partnership and offer new ways for travelers to get to Jamaica,” said Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “This is a testament to the strength and ongoing appeal of Jamaica’s tourism product among U.S. travelers as well as the confidence of Southwest Airlines in the destination.”
The new flight will be the only nonstop service between Kansas City and Jamaica.
Southwest also serves Jamaica from Baltimore, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and St. Louis.
Jamaica has secured record seats to the destination for the current winter season and continues to add new airlift, both from traditional source markets and, increasingly, developing markets like Austin, Texas.
“This new service is a welcome addition to our airlift roster as we continue our drive to further increase visitor arrivals to Jamaica,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. “It will open up access to more potential travelers from the midwestern U.S. to visit our shores and we look forward to having them on island to experience our authentic Jamaican hospitality.”
The new route is a nod to the growing import of the Midwest market for the Caribbean.
The move follows the high-profile launch by Frontier Airlines last month of two routes from the Midwest to Jamaica, with thrice-weekly service from both Chicago Midway and St Louis to Montego Bay.
From the Midwest to Austin to Los Angeles (which now has its first-ever nonstop flight to Grand Cayman), the Caribbean continues to grow new markets in the US outside of traditional strongholds like New York and Miami, both of which are also sending more travelers to the region.