50 Flights Per Week – Starting November 1, a total of 50 non-stop flights are expected per week between Canada and Jamaica, according to Senior Executives of Canada’s largest airlines. Jamaica’s second-largest market for tourists steadily rebounds after over a year and a half of gloom due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stringent travel restrictions imposed by the Canadian government. Over 50 weekly flights are expected between Jamaica and Canada come November 1, operated by Air Canada, WestJet, Sun wing, swoop, and transit with nonstop services from Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Edmonton.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the Canadian market currently has forward bookings hovering around 65% of 2019 levels and airlift for the winter season at around 82% of 2019 levels with some 260,000 seats locked in. Minister Bartlett describes this as positive news as Canada has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 related travel restrictions, which he says for several months literally shut down international travel.
He says with more than 80 per cent of eligible Canadians over the age of 12 fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and a relative easing of international travel restrictions, the ministry is cautiously optimistic.
As is the case for everyone over the age of 12 traveling to Jamaica, Canadians must show proof of a negative covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.
Meanwhile, in noting the critical importance of tourism to Jamaica’s economic recovery, Bartlett says there is no better industry to increase revenue, restore jobs and generate new opportunities in communities across the country.
