JAPEX: Canada Jetlines to launch Toronto-Montego Bay service on Nov. 5

Airlift between Canada and Jamaica will increase this winter as Canada Jetlines plans to launch flights between its hub at Toronto Pearson and Montego Bay.

The new, twice-weekly route will begin on Nov. 5, announced Jetlines’ Director of Sales and Business Development Sanjay Kopalkar at this year’s Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) conference, which is currently unfolding in Montego Bay.

Speaking at a media breakfast at Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa on Tuesday (Sept. 12), Kopalkar revealed that flights will operate on Saturdays and Sundays aboard Jetlines’ A320 aircraft, which can accommodate 174 passengers.

He said that frequency may increase 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,” Kopalkar said.

The airline is also contemplating service to Kingston in the near future.

“Jetlines Airlines and Jetlines Vacations are committed to service, comfort and affordability,” said Kopalkar, expressing his excitement about the new route.

In welcoming the service, Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, noted that Canada was Jamaica’s second largest source market for tourists, next to the United States.

“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,” Minister Bartlett stated in a press release. 

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

Canada Jetlines, which launched last year, is being promoted as a value-oriented leisure airline.

From Toronto, 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,” stated Kopalkar. 

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