Inaugural Flight from Denver, Colorado

The Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St. James, on Saturday, November 4, welcomed an inaugural United Airlines flight from Denver, Colorado in the United States.

Arriving on the flight were some 168 passengers and six crew members. The flight will now arrive at SIA every Saturday.

Commercial Business Development and Marketing Manager at MBJ Airports Limited, Operators of SIA, Sharon Hislop-Holt, told the media that the addition of the new flight is “huge” for the facility.

“The ease of connection for passengers means a lot to us, so it is always great when we have a direct flight, a new route, a new airline. It is really a momentous occasion here for us,” she said.

For his part, Station Manager for United Airlines in Jamaica, Andrew Chambers, noted that the airline has embarked on one of the largest aircraft orders in the world, which made it possible for the direct flight from Denver to Montego Bay.

“We call it United Next, and this will make United Airlines the largest carrier across the world. We now fly a total of five routes [to Jamaica], Newark, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas; Washington DC and now Denver. We have a total of 102 flights on a monthly basis into Montego Bay,” Mr. Chambers informed.

Noting that no other direct United Airlines flights are planned for the island, Mr. Chambers is hoping that with the high demand for the destination, especially Montego Bay, the number of flights from the carrier will increase.

For his part, Visitor Relations Manager at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Candesa Casanova, told journalists that there will be more inaugural flights scheduled for this island starting next month.

“So, on December 1 we are anticipating Norse Atlantic Airlines out of the United Kingdom will be travelling here to Montego Bay and then on December 9 we will be welcoming Jetlines Airline out of Toronto, Canada,” Ms. Casanova advised.

She added that the frequency of the upcoming flights will be determined later.