December air traffic rebounds after Hurricane Melissa, still below 2024 levels
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Air travel through Sangster International Airport increased in December, signalling a partial recovery from the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa, but passenger volumes at Jamaica’s main gateway and across the island’s two international airports remained lower than a year earlier.
Concession operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V reported late Tuesday that SIA processed 262,600 passengers in December 2025, a 43.8 per cent fall compared to the 467,500 passengers processed in December 2024.
Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) had a 2.9 per cent decline in traffic, processing 172,300 passengers compared to 177,500 in December 2024.
For the 2025 calendar year, SIA had an 11.6 per cent decline in traffic, falling from 5.057 million passengers in 2024 to 4.469 million in 2025.
NMIA saw a 3.6 per cent improvement, handling 1.841 million passengers in 2025. SIA is usually responsible for 70 per cent of the island’s air traffic in “normal times.”
The Jamaica Tourist Board indicated that the country welcomed over 70,000 visitor arrivals within the first seven days of the winter tourism season. Jamaica has welcomed 370,000 visitors and earned US$331.2 million since the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
