JAMAICA stands to gain despite news that American air carrier JetBlue plans to slash routes across the United States and Latin America.

JetBlue’s vice-president of network planning and airline partnerships, Dave Jehn, said the airline would drop five cities including Bogota, Colombia; Lima, Peru; and Kansas City, United States, effective June 13 this year. He also listed an additional 16 route cuts, with Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale most affected.

JetBlue is trying to cut costs amid its failed Spirit Airlines merger and American Airlines partnership due to antitrust laws and the grounding of some airbus jets, among other issues.

Senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism Delano Seiveright highlighted that Jamaica will benefit as JetBlue, which currently has 78 flights per week between several US cities and the country two largest international airports, will increase flights to Jamaica as it is categorised by the company as a “top-performing” destination. JetBlue Vacations, he noted, also registered bookings for March as seven per cent ahead of last year. He also noted that overall stopover tourist arrivals up to mid-March 2024 are running 6.3 per cent ahead of the same record period last year.

Jamaica welcomed one million visitors and earned one billion in foreign exchange in the first two months of the year. The numbers highlight the impressive growth trajectory of the country’s tourism sector.

JetBlue is one of the largest carriers of passengers between Jamaica and the United States, with multiple daily, non-stop flights with the US cities of New York, Newark, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.