United Airlines has increased its total flights to Jamaica by over 50 percent since 2019, according to Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.
The disclosure was made last week as Bartlett and his senior executives met with airline executives at United’s World Headquarters.
“Jamaica continues to be in high demand and this increase by one of the largest US airlines proves that the partnership between the destination and airline has been fruitful and is strong,” said Bartlett. “We pride ourselves on being one of the most connected destinations through our network of airline partners who form a core part of driving our tourism growth.”
United’s senior representatives indicated that they will fly their largest schedule to Jamaica this year— a 15 percent increase over 2023.
They also highlighted that Jamaica’s Sangster International airport remains a key location for the airline as its third largest Caribbean destination.
United is serving Montego Bay’s airport from 5 of its hubs at up to 34 total weekly flights in 2024.
“Without airlift, we cannot grow our tourism product and so we rely on these types of partnerships to create mutually beneficial outcomes,” said Bartlett. “Jamaica is in a good position regarding its phenomenal post COVID growth and with this consistent demand for the island, we are optimistic about our tourism outlook.”
“To have one of the largest airlines out of the U.S., our main source market, increase its service says a lot about our partnership and how attractive Jamaica is as a destination,” said Director of Tourism, Donovan White. “There is no doubt that our unique and authentic tourism offerings continue to make visitors want to come to our shores.”
