Airlift rises 23.5% as airline partners strengthen support for Jamaica’s tourism recovery

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, October 9, 2026 – Jamaica enters the January–April 2027 winter tourist season with 1,324,965 airline seats allocated by its partners, an increase of 251,739 seats, or 23.5%, over the same period in 2026. The Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) latest airlift outlook points to strengthening airline confidence and capacity broadly aligned with the accommodation expected to be available during the season.

“Securing more than 1.3 million seats is a strong vote of confidence in Jamaica and our tourism recovery,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. “These commitments substantially reduce the risk of insufficient airlift for the winter season and provide a solid foundation for welcoming more visitors. Our task now is to turn that confidence into bookings, visitor spending and economic opportunities for Jamaicans,” he expressed.

The outlook has improved steadily over the past 60 days, with additional airline confirmations in the most recent fortnight. Canada leads the year-on-year expansion with a 62.1% increase in seats, followed by the United States at 23.1% and Latin America at 2%. Capacity from both Canada and Latin America also exceeds 2025 levels.

“Our airline partners are expanding access to Jamaica, and we are working closely with tour operators and accommodation partners to translate those seats into bookings,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism. “Across our source markets, our teams are focused on keeping Jamaica front of mind and helping travel partners convert interest into visits. As more properties reopen, we will continue aligning airlift with room availability to support a strong winter season,” White noted.

Total scheduled capacity stands at 92.4% of the 2025 level, compared with approximately 90% of full hotel room stock expected to be operational. Around 3,500 rooms remain projected to be unavailable as the accommodation sector continues its recovery following Hurricane Melissa. This alignment supports the JTB’s assessment that overall airlift is adequate for expected hotel availability.

The JTB will continue monitoring airline schedules, booking trends, fares and hotel reopening dates, with particular attention to markets where capacity recovery remains incomplete. Coordinated activity with airline, tour operator and hotel partners will focus on sustaining demand and supporting strong winter occupancy.

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ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD  

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.

Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.

Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions, and accommodations in Jamaica, go to the JTB’s Website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.visitjamaica.com/blog/.