Frontier’s Direct Flight To MoBay A Signal Of Confidence In Jamaica – Deputy Mayor

• Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says Frontier Airlines’ inaugural flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, is a show of confidence in the country’s management of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 
• Vernon said that increasing the number of flights into Montego Bay and Jamaica, by extension, sends the message that Jamaica is safe for travel. Mr. Vernon noted that new flights also mean new business for Montego Bay, particularly when the direct flight is coming out of Atlanta, which is the sister city that Jamaica has shared such a close relationship with for many years. 
• This new Frontier Airlines flight route opens the door for more support from the diaspora. Further, having nonstop flights mean persons can travel freely, and business can be transacted at a faster pace. 
• It also augurs well for recovery in the tourism industry and indicates that there is demand for travel to Jamaica. As at July 2021, there have been 716,221 tourist arrivals, which is below the 1.07Mn and 2.64Mn reported in 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Government is forecasting 1.57Mn visitors and more than US$2.0Bn in earnings for this year.

(Source: JIS News & NCBCM Research)