Breaking new Frontier
Officials thrilled as low-budget airline adds Miami to Kingston route
Published:Friday | May 6, 2022 | 12:08 AMAinsworth Morris/Gleaner Writer
As the global travel market continues to show positive signs of recovery from losses incurred as a result of the pandemic, Frontier Airlines has added five new routes, including Miami to Kingston, which saw its first flight on Thursday.
The white mechanical bird – with the signature ‘The Tex Armadillo’ – touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday at 8:30 a.m. with 75 passengers on the maiden trip.
The new 45-minute flight service will be available on Thursdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays.
Yesterday, Michael Pewther, senior sales manager of Frontier Airlines, Inc, haled the occasion as “a great day here in Jamaica”.
“We are looking forward to continued success here in Jamaica and in Montego Bay, to bring people to come down here and enjoy the sunshine and all that Jamaica has to offer,” Pewther said.
“We would love to see local folks from Jamaica go to Miami and visit their family and friends as well,” he added.
He said the airline decided to add the new Jamaican route after listening to the calls of underserved passengers in the market who wanted flights to and from Kingston.
Beginning in June and July, the 28-year-old budget-friendly airline will also offer non-stop service to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Frontier’s Dominican Republic and Jamaica services mark the first new international destinations since the start of the pandemic.
Frontier, a major American ultra low-cost carrier headquartered in Denver, Colorado, operates flights to more than 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations and employs more than 3,000 staff.
Francine Carter Henry, manager of tour operators and airlines at the Jamaica Tourist Board, who was at the airport to welcome the first flight on behalf of the Government, said, “We’re thrilled to be a part of Frontier Airlines’ expansion plans.
“We welcome them to Kingston with service three times weekly, and this aligns very well with Jamaica’s plans on inviting more visitors to the island to experience our warmth and everything else that we have in store,” Carter Henry said.
“We’re excited about this new service, and we hope that everyone will be able to experience it as we share more of our culture and all the other opportunities here in Jamaica,” she added.