Resumption of Air Jamaica Flights Warmly Welcomed in Grenada
The return of Air Jamaica to Grenada was hailed by Tourism Minister Brenda Hood, who said the island´s tourism sector might have been crippled without a direct service out of the United States.
She told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that Air Jamaica was currently the only carrier operating a direct service out of the United States and the carrier had become extremely popular among Grenadians.
Air Jamaica returned to the Point Saline International Airport last weekend after a four-week break. The company stopped flying to these destinations as several of its aircraft were undergoing a rigid maintenance program.
During that period, Air Jamaica´s services to Barbados and St. Lucia were also interrupted. Services to Barbados have since resumed, but not to St. Lucia.
Ms Hood said that while American Eagle had been providing a connecting service to the United States, the return of Air Jamaica provided visitors with a direct flight to New York three times a week.
The Tourism Minister said that she has had discussions with Air Jamaica officials and had received the assurance that the airline would service the island for the foreseeable future.
The Minister said the Grenada cruise sector had performed well in the post Ivan period with an increase of 26 per cent in arrivals as compared to 2003/04. She attributed the increase to the commissioning of a new cruise facility in December, which was now capable of accommodating bigger ships.
