Amid a voracious demand for the island’s sun-kissed shores, United Airlines says that total flights to Jamaica have increased by over 50 per cent since 2019.

The disclosure was made during a meeting with the airline’s top brass and the Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett-led Ministry of Tourism delegation at United’s world headquarters last week.

Based in Illinois’ windy metropolis Chicago, United Airlines is a major carrier that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States, connecting six continents from its seven US mainland hubs.

“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. 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,” said Bartlett.

Senior United representatives committed to flying their largest schedule to Jamaica this year, a 15 per cent increase when compared to 2023. The executives also highlighted that Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) remains a key location for the airline as its third largest Caribbean destination.

United is serving MBJ from five 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. 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,” Bartlett mused further.

“To have one of the largest airlines out of the US, our main source market, increase its service says a lot about our partnership and how attractive Jamaica is as a destination. There is no doubt that our unique and authentic tourism offerings continue to make visitors want to come to our shores,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism.

Summer is gearing up to be very robust as some of the airline’s hubs, New York/Newark, Houston, Washington DC/Dulles, Chicago, and Denver, experience strong load factors for travel to Jamaica.