AFTER months of declining passenger traffic and revenue at Sangster International Airport, Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) is anticipating a stronger winter tourism season as more hotels reopen and airlines restore flights to Jamaica’s main tourism gateway.

The outlook comes as Sangster — which is located in Montego Bay, St James — continues to feel the effects of Hurricane Melissa, with passenger traffic falling 23 per cent during the July to September quarter while revenue declined 16 per cent.

“The recovery of the hotel infrastructure is doing pretty good. We are seeing important comeback of seats for this winter season,” GAP CEO Raúl Revuelta said during the company’s October 20 earnings call.

“What we are expecting for the winter season is for sure a really important increase on seats for the case of Jamaica, seeing that just on the last week of October, it was one year ago, Jamaica was hit by the hurricane,” he added.

GAP expects almost 90 per cent of Jamaica’s original airline seat capacity to be restored for winter, supported by the reopening of several major hotel properties along the north coast.

Passenger traffic at Sangster plunged 46 per cent during the final quarter of 2025, falling from 1.16 million to 624,700 as the hurricane disrupted flights and forced the closure of several hotels between Ocho Rios and Negril.

The reopening of those properties is now central to the airport operator’s expectations. Five Royalton resorts were scheduled to reopen between August and September, with three Sandals properties expected to resume operations between November and December. Seven Hyatt-operated properties are also expected to reopen in early 2027, while more than 8,000 additional hotel rooms are under construction in the Montego Bay tourism corridor.

Jamaica’s tourism authorities have already reported a substantial recovery in airline capacity. Earlier this month, the Jamaica Tourist Board indicated that 1.32 million airline seats had been secured for January to April 2027, representing 92.4 per cent of pre-hurricane capacity.

The immediate challenge for GAP is turning the returning airline capacity into stronger passenger volumes after several difficult quarters at Sangster.

The airport handled 957,700 passengers during the third quarter, approximately 285,900 fewer than a year earlier. Aeronautical revenue, earned mainly from airlines, fell 28 per cent to MXN$351.20 million (US$20.36 million), while non-aeronautical revenue declined 18 per cent to MXN$192.10 million.

Overall revenue fell 16 per cent to MXN$649.41 million (US$37.65 million). Despite the decline, operating income rose 22 per cent to MXN$300.34 million, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased eight per cent to MXN$354.56 million, helped by lower operating expenses.

The airport’s performance over the first nine months of 2026, however, shows the extent of the prolonged disruption.

Passenger traffic fell 25.5 per cent to 2.87 million, compared with 3.85 million a year earlier. Revenue declined 26 per cent to MXN$1.83 billion, while operating income dropped 21 per cent to MXN$708.86 million. EBITDA also fell 19 per cent to MXN$929 million.

GAP operates Sangster through its 74.5 per cent-owned subsidiary MBJ Airports Limited. The Montego Bay airport ordinarily accounts for approximately 70 per cent of Jamaica’s international air passenger traffic.

Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, meanwhile, has fared considerably better.

Passenger traffic increased 1.1 per cent to 535,000 during the third quarter, contrasting with the double-digit decline in Montego Bay. For the first nine months Kingston handled 1.39 million passengers, down just 1.8 per cent from a year earlier.

The difference reflects the heavier disruption to Jamaica’s main tourism corridor, where the closure of large hotel properties has affected international visitor traffic.

GAP is also expecting more favourable fourth-quarter comparisons, as the final months of 2026 will be measured against the sharp decline in passenger numbers immediately following Hurricane Melissa last year.

“First, our third-quarter results demonstrate financial resilience, even while passenger traffic remains under pressure. We are not assuming that recovery will be uniform or immediate, and we remain focused on improving connectivity and competitiveness across our airport network,” Revuelta said.

While its Jamaican operations remained under pressure, GAP reported a 22 per cent increase in consolidated third-quarter revenue to MXN$11.67 billion, supported by higher non-aeronautical revenue in Mexico and the consolidation of Cross Border Xpress, which connects Tijuana International Airport with San Diego in the United States.

Operating costs also rose 22 per cent to MXN$6.62 billion, but consolidated net income increased eight per cent to MXN$2.91 billion.

For the first nine months of 2026, total revenue grew nine per cent to MXN$34.33 billion, while consolidated net profit rose 11 per cent to MXN$9.12 billion.

“Third, our long-term vision remains unchanged. We continue to execute airport infrastructure investment, expanding our commercial capabilities and strengthening our position in cross-border mobility all while maintaining disciplined capital allocation,” Revuelta said.

GAP’s shares closed Friday at US$222.42 on the New York Stock Exchange, up eight per cent over the preceding five trading days, giving the company a market capitalisation of approximately US$11.54 billion.