Air traffic down at half-year mark
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Passenger traffic through Sangster International Airport (SIA) and Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) remained under pressure during the first half of 2026 as the country recovered from various external events.
Concession operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, SAB de CV (GAP or Pacific Airport Group) reported on Monday that Sangster International Airport (SIA) handled 1.91 million passengers between January to June, a 26.7 per cent dip compared to the 2.60 million passengers in 2025.
The lower passenger arrivals stems from the passage of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 and reduced hotel capacity as various properties remain closed for repairs. Sangster International is Jamaica’s busiest airport and main gateway to the tourism corridor between Ocho Rios to Negril.
Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) handled 850,200 passengers for the six-month period, a 3.6 per cent reduction from the 881,500 passengers processed in 2024. The marginal reduction in passengers was attributed at a recent forum to lower arrivals from certain locations in the United States of America (USA), Jamaica’s largest source market.
Sangster International’s traffic during June decreased 23.4 per cent as the airport moved from 438,900 passengers to 336,300 passengers. NMIA’s traffic marginally declined in June from 152,200 passengers to 151,000 passengers.
Spirit Airlines ceased operations on May 2 after a last minute rescue plan didn’t move forward. The departure of the low cost carrier did not have a significant impact on Jamaica as GAP noted that the airline represented 3.5 per cent of Kingston traffic and 2.6 per cent of Montego Bay traffic before the airline shut down.
Despite the reduced traffic during the first half of 2026, a new route to Medellín, Colombia was introduced at Sangster International during June with Wingo, a low-cost airline owned by Copa Holdings.
Jamaica is also set to benefit from the introduction of non-stop flights from Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton by Porter Airlines in the 2026-2027 winter tourism season.
