ST JAMES, Jamaica - Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has welcomed the news that air seats out of Canada will increase significantly as of November 5, when Canada Jetlines introduces twice-weekly flights between Toronto and Montego Bay, St James.

Jetlines’ director of Sales and Business Development, Sanjay Kopalkar announced the introduction of the new service during a Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) media breakfast meeting held at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa on Tuesday. He said as a start there would be flights on Saturdays and Sundays utilising state-of-the-art A320 Aircraft with a 174-passenger capacity.

There is also an expectation of increasing to three fights weekly in the winter, and “depending on the progress and getting new aircraft, which are lined up for the first quarter of 2024, we will look at flying at least five times a week into Jamaica,” said Kopalkar.

The airline is also contemplating service to Kingston soon.

Kopalkar added that he was excited about the partnership between his company and the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies that made a dream into reality and brought about the new air service that will cater largely to tourists.

“Jetlines Airlines and Jetlines Vacations are committed to service, comfort and affordability,” he said.

In welcoming the service, Minister Bartlett noted that Canada was Jamaica’s second largest source market, next to the USA, for tourists and “with Jetlines coming on board we are expecting a welcome increase in stopover visitors from Canada to take us closer to achieving our committed target of five million visitors and US$5 billion in earnings within five years.”

He expressed that “together we will build bridges, create lasting memories and continue to foster strong relations between Canada and Jamaica.”

The year-old Canada Jetlines is being promoted as a value-oriented leisure airline, operating scheduled and charter services throughout North America with its fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft. From its base at Toronto Pearson International, the airline’s destinations also include Las Vegas, Orlando International, and Cancun, Mexico.

“We are eager to contribute to the growth of tourism in Montego Bay by offering convenient and affordable flights, and we are here to encourage more Canadians to discover the wonders of Jamaica, fostering cultural ties as well as sustainable growth for both countries,” said Kopalkar.