Domestic Air Travel Revival

Domestic air travel between Montego Bay and Kingston is set to make a comeback, according to Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports, Shane Munroe.

Background

“Certainly, that is something that the Jamaican aviation industry has not seen for a very long time,” Munroe said during MBJ Airports Limited’s bi-annual virtual airport forum held Wednesday on Microsoft Teams. MBJ Airports operates Sangster International Airport (SIA) in St James.

The revived domestic service is to be operated by LIAT 2020 Limited, which will also launch new international flights connecting Jamaica to Antigua.

New Developments

“It has been a while since Montego Bay had direct connectivity to many Caribbean destinations and this may come as a surprise to some,” Munroe noted, adding, “We look forward to seeing direct flights between Montego Bay and Antigua and connectivity now being extended beyond Antigua to the eastern and southern Caribbean.”

The inaugural flight between Jamaica and Antigua is scheduled for July 11, but Munroe did not specify when the Kingston–Montego Bay domestic service would begin.

LIAT’s social media pages, however, have been promoting a July 11 start date for the flights, with rates of USD $122.

History of LIAT 2020 Limited

LIAT 2020 Limited began operations on August 6, 2024, and is a joint venture between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and Nigerian airline Air Peace. It succeeds LIAT (1974), which previously provided regional air service across the Caribbean.

Jamaica has not had regular domestic flights between Montego Bay and Kingston since Air Jamaica Express, a subsidiary of Air Jamaica, discontinued the route in 2015. Jam Airlink Express briefly filled the gap when it launched operations in July 2019, but the airline no longer offers scheduled domestic flights.

Conclusion

The revival of domestic air travel between Montego Bay and Kingston is a significant development for Jamaica’s aviation industry. With LIAT 2020 Limited operating the new domestic service and launching international flights to Antigua, this move is expected to boost connectivity and tourism in the region.