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Southwest Airline to expand flights to Jamaica as of October

Published:Wednesday | March 22, 2023 | 12:14 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
Donovan White, director of tourism.
Donovan White, director of tourism.

Southwest Airline will be expanding its operations in Jamaica when it begins once a week non-stop flights from Kansas City, Missouri, to Montego Bay, St James, in October this year.

This will be the first-ever flight between Kansas City International Airport and Montego Bay. It is also the only non-stop service between Kansas City and Jamaica.

Southwest Airline already serves Jamaica from Baltimore, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and St Louis in the United States.

This expanded Southwest Airline service comes on the heel of Frontier Airlines beginning service from St Louis to Montego Bay three times per week as of last month. It also follows Spirit Airlines’ new direct flights four times per week linking Connecticut to Montego Bay with direct service.

Jamaica has secured a record number of seats to the island this winter tourist season as the country continues to add new airlifts from traditional markets as well as new markets such as Austin, Texas.

Southwest Airline says the new service is in recognition of the growing importance of the United States’ Midwest market for the Caribbean.

Jamaica’s director of tourism, Donovan White, says that the new service is a welcome addition to the country’s airlift roster.

“We continue our drive to further increase visitor arrivals to Jamaica,” he said.

White said that the new service has the potential to open up access to more potential travellers from the US Midwest region and he looks forward to having these new visitors come to Jamaica to experience the country’s tourism product.

“We are grateful for Southwest’s continued growth in Kansas City and for easier access to some of our most requested leisure destinations,” Pat Klein, director of the Kansas City’s Aviation Department, said in a statement.