News
JAM | Oct 4, 2024

Avelo Airlines and JetBlue ramp up flight to Jamaica for winter, island’s tourism officials excited

/ Our Today

administrator
Reading Time: 2 minutes
JetBlue Airbus A321LR is displayed at the 54th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Avelo Airlines and JetBlue will ramp up their flights to Jamaica for the winter season with more than 30,000 seats on offer.

US travellers from New York, Boston, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando and Hartford will find 30,000 additional airline seats available when planning their winter trip to Jamaica. Beginning next month, Avelo Airlines will offer twice-weekly service from Hartford’s Bradley International Airport to Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

An Avelo Airlines plane

JetBlue will increase its service to Kingston, Jamaica this winter over the peak festive season with as many as five flights daily from New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as well as Ft Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport (FLL), while JFK and FLL into Sangster International will increase to four times daily over the peak of the season.

Additionally, JetBlue flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport will increase to three times weekly during the winter months, while flights from Orlando International Airport will be twice daily for the festive season. 

Jamaica’s tourism officials hail the move

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.

“Winter airlift from JetBlue is estimated to increase by more than 30,000 seats from key markets,” declared Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who said that “coupled with Avelo’s new service from Connecticut, this gives us access to millions of potential visitors to our island”.

Director of Tourism, Donovan White said Jamaica is, “grateful for the strong relationships we continue to enjoy with airline and travel industry partners, and this is reflected in our ability to bring visitors here from key and emerging gateway markets”.  

Between January 1 and September 14, 2024, Jamaica has welcomed just over two million stopover visitors, and approximately three million total visitors, including cruise arrivals. This achievement marks an increase over last year’s figures for the same period.

Comments

What To Read Next

News JAM Apr 1, 2026

Reading Time: 2 minutesYoung Jamaica, the youth arm of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has called for the resignation of East Central St Andrew Member of Parliament Dennis Gordon following revelations made during a recent session of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“Young Jamaica, take note of confirmation during yesterday’s Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that JACDEN Limited is among the multi-million dollar beneficiaries of what a recent report from the Auditor General revealed to be the unlawful and inappropriate use of the tax exemption status of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI),” the youth arm said in a statement.

News JAM Apr 1, 2026

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), recently concluded a two-day After-Action Review (AAR) workshop held from March 24–25. The workshop aimed to strengthen Jamaica’s preparedness and response systems following the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

After-Action Reviews are a standard tool in emergency management, used to assess response efforts, capture lessons learned, and improve coordination, planning, and operational systems for future events. Importantly, aligning the AAR process with the International Health Regulations (IHR) ensures that the evaluation of public health emergencies meets globally recognised standards, strengthening Jamaica’s ability to detect, assess, report, and respond to health threats in a timely and effective manner.

News USA Apr 1, 2026

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a series of strengthened screening and vetting measures aimed at enhancing national security and public safety, particularly for applicants from high-risk countries.

In a statement released Tuesday (March), USCIS said its review of pending workloads and benefit applications revealed that prior screening measures were “wholly inadequate.” According to the agency, many applicants for naturalisation and lawful permanent residence were not sufficiently vetted, creating risks to national security and public safety while undermining the integrity of the immigration system.