Air Jamaica Route Closure Threatens Europe Ties
There is mounting concern among Jamaica’s tourism community that Air Jamaica’s cancellation of UK services could be detrimental to its travel trade with Europe. Air Jamaica pulled the plug on its Kingston-Montego Bay to London route the other week, after reporting $27 million losses last year. Virgin Atlantic will take over the route on October 30th through a codeshare deal.
Therefore, travelers from the UK and Europe will no longer be able to fly from Heathrow. There will also be less frequency from Gatwick, with only two flights per week replacing the daily flight. Passengers will soon have to change airport and airline, as well as departure and return dates.
“We are disappointed that Air Jamaica will no longer operate a nonstop daily service,” says Elizabeth Fox, regional director for UK & Northern Europe, Jamaica Tourist Board. “Over the last two years, we have experienced consistently increasing visitor numbers to the island. We are confident that the gap in service left by Air Jamaica will be soon filled to meet the growing demand.”
A number of industry insiders are also concerned that the route closure could slash hotel occupancy levels.
“From a hotel standpoint this has an immediate impact on business already taken from November 1,” says Tom McNamara, managing director of group promotions for Couples and Sunset Resorts. “There is a phenomenal increase in room inventory planned for Jamaica over the next three years. We have to find a new way to get our UK guests to the destination.”
Couples and Sunset Resorts are among the many hotel operators that are making special offers to encourage affected passengers not to cancel their holidays. “It is a great shame for the destination, Tony Cowles and his team at Air Jamaica have done a wonderful and sometimes very difficult job in building the service out of the UK over the last ten years.” McNamara explains.
An additional 15,000 rooms are planned by the end of the decade, with UK visitor numbers to the island growing by 27 percent year on year for 2006, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport has also been expanded and Kingston airport has been renovated to cope with more arrivals.
Withdrawal of the London service is one of several initiatives that the state-run airline has embarked on in a bid to become financially independent by 2009. According to news reports, in recent months Air Jamaica has become a “major financial liability” to the government, and the route in question is costing “an unjustifiable” $2.5 million in losses per month.
