For the second time in less than two weeks, a Canadian airline has made its inaugural flight to Jamaica with non-stop flights from Canada.
On Saturday, Flair made its first non-stop flight between Toronto, Canada, and Kingston. This follows Canada Jetlines, which launched its inaugural flight from Canada to Montego Bay, on December 9.
Flair will fly three times weekly between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Norman Manley International Airport.
With this new route, Flair says it’s delighted to cater to the unique travel needs of the Jamaican-Canadian community and Canadian travelers.
More non-stop flights to Kingston
Senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright has also announced that several new flights are scheduled to start operating at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
Delta Airlines is also set to launch non-stop flights between New York’s John F Kennedy and Kingston in January, whilst another Canadian airline, Jetlines, is set to launch non-stop services between Toronto and Kingston early next year, bringing to five the number of airlines offering non-stop flights between Canada and Kingston.
Seiveright said that the tourism officials have been pushing airlines to give serious consideration to Kingston for flight operations, noting the city’s growth as a tourism destination, an increasing number of hotels and Airbnbs, a growing number of entertainment events, strong Diaspora traffic, and improvements to the highway networks cutting travel time to sections of the island at certain hours.
“Delta and Jetlines are all very positive, and it shows that Kingston is being treated more seriously as a tourism destination and as a destination for them to operate their flights,” Seiveright said in a release.
“So it’s very positive, and we will continue in our efforts to push Kingston as a destination, and we will always continue to encourage airlines to put Kingston as a viable option going forward,” he further noted.
Delta’s decision to return non-stop flights between New York’s JFK and Kingston, Seiveright noted, is particularly significant and adds to Jetblue and Caribbean Airlines as carriers with non-stop services between both cities.
In responding to concerns about the look and feel of the Norman Manley International Airport, Seiveright noted that planned improvements by operators PAC Kingston Airport Limited are now in motion. These include full rehabilitation of restrooms, rehabilitation of the Customs hall and arrivals areas, and commercial area reconfiguration, among other improvements.
