Flights from RDM to Jamaica on hold due to hurricane damage
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Durrant Pate/ Contributor
The start of non-stop flights between Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDM) in North Carolina, USA and Jamaica has been postponed, as the Caribbean island destination recovers from the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Melissa that struck on October 28 last year.
Flights from the RDM, which serves the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina and MBJ Airport in Montego Bay, are now set to start on March 5, according to airport officials. Breeze Airways, a low-cost carrier, is expected to fly to Jamaica twice weekly, using its Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Breeze uses smaller Airbus A220-300 aircraft that seat 137 passengers.
In a written statement, the airline cites “extensive damage to both airport facilities and resorts” in western Jamaica caused by Hurricane Melissa in late October. Hurricane Melissa was the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica in recorded history, with sustained winds of 185 mph.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this might have caused for our guests and look forward to welcoming them back onboard later in the year,” the airline said. Breeze is the only airline with announced flights to Jamaica from RDU. Avelo Airlines had flown to Montego Bay from the Triangle twice a week last year but ended that service on January 3 last year, saying it wasn’t able to sell enough seats on its Boeing 737 aircraft.
Triangle travellers can fly nonstop from RDU to two other Caribbean islands. Three airlines—Delta, Frontier and JetBlue—offer nonstops to San Juan, Puerto Rico. And Breeze plans to begin nonstops to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 4 this year, joining Avelo and American on that route.
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