Frontier Airlines has decided to stop its flights from Cleveland to Montego Bay, Jamaica, merely a month after launching the route.
Despite this setback, tourism officials in Jamaica remain optimistic about the country’s tourism outlook.
No adverse effect on arrivals projections
Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor and Strategist at the Ministry of Tourism remains upbeat about Jamaica’s tourism prospects.
He asserted that the cancellation of Frontier’s route would not have adverse effects on the country’s anticipated stopover arrivals.
Optimistic projections
Seiveright points out that there are still abundant seats available to accommodate the projected arrivals.
“For the winter period from January to April 2024, we anticipate welcoming 1,294,722 passengers from 1,523,202 seats across regions, with a projected load factor equalling that of 2019, at 85 per cent,” he said.
US market continues to drive tourism
Despite the setback, Seiveright emphasizes the resilience of Jamaica’s tourism industry, especially its reliance on the US market.
Speaking with Loop News, he shared that the US remains the “key market driver for our destination”, with new and emerging markets positioned to contribute to target arrivals and revenues.
Competitive nature of the airline industry
While Seiveright could not provide a specific reason for the route’s termination, he acknowledges the competitive landscape of the airline industry.
He explained that given the competitive nature of the commercial airline industry, sometimes airlines are forced to cut back on flights.
Jamaica’s connectivity
Seiveright underscores Jamaica’s strong connectivity, mentioning major US carriers serving the destination.
He points out that Jamaica is one of the most connected destinations in the region, adding that almost every major US carrier serves Jamaica.
New flights offset setback
Despite the cancellation, Jamaica has secured several new flights in recent months.
Seiveright mentioned that over the last several months, Jamaica has gained several new airlines, namely Jetlines and Flair out of Canada and Norse Atlantic out of the UK.
Frontier Airlines’ last flight to Jamaica is scheduled for June 29, citing insufficient consumer demand for the service during the full summer season.
