American low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines will be offering fares as low as US$79, when it begins its new non-stop flights to Kingston on May 5.

The event will mark the first time that the airline will be servicing the capital city and, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, the flights to Kingston will be available year-round, three times each week, and to commemorate the occasion, the airline will be offering seats as low as US$79, one way, from Miami to Kingston.

“Jamaica is very heartened by the decision made by Frontier to include flights to Kingston on their roster, well in advance of the summer vacation season. The flights will undoubtedly bolster Jamaica’s tourism industry by allowing us to welcome more of our visitors and members of the Diaspora in Florida to the island,” Bartlett informed the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

He said that the developments continue to emanate from a massive tourism market blitz across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and beyond, which he led last September and October. He was accompanied on that venture by a team of leading Jamaican tourism experts, including chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), John Lynch; director of tourism, Donovan White; and senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.

During the US leg of the blitz, they had talks with the leadership teams at American Airlines, Southwest, Expedia, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean.

Noting the boost to city Kingston expected from the latest developments, Bartlett said that he is encouraged that Frontier Airlines has decided to expand its services to Kingston, a UNESCO-designated “Creative City” with a lot to offer visitors interested in art, culture, gastronomy, and eco-tourism.

“It will also provide our guests with possibilities to explore the richness that our capital city has to offer, while affording them easy access to other resort areas,” Bartlett added.

He noted that, in the midst of the current pandemic, Frontier Airlines has been aggressively expanding its Caribbean network, including a growing presence in Miami, which has been long dominated by American Airlines.

According to Seiveright, the local tourism sector is preparing for a massive increase in visitor traffic to Jamaica, and continues to see a flurry of activities from the airlines with new and added flights.

“Kingston is also seeing growing interest, which we are very happy about, and will see increased services by JetBlue which is upping services by June with New York,” the strategist explained.

Seiveright also noted that more flights into both of Jamaica’s two international airports are expected in coming months, as the demand continues to grow, coupled with the elimination of Jamaica’s travel authorisation system, JAMCOVID, by March 1, and a general easing of travel restrictions globally.

Daniel Shurz, senior vice-president of commercial affairs for Frontier Airlines in a statement on the matter, noted that the airline is thrilled to launch service between Miami and Kingston, the bustling capital city of Jamaica.

“Kingston is home to an array of fascinating tourism and rich historical sites, as well as providing easy access to Jamaica’s stunning mountains and beaches. This new service is in addition to our existing flights to Montego Bay,” he stated.

Frontier Airlines is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 members of staff.

The carrier is a subsidiary and operating brand of Indigo Partners, LLC, and maintains a hub at Denver International Airport with numerous focus cities across the US.