Spirit Airlines announced the launch of a new route from Connecticut to Jamaica, which will begin in December 2022. Spirit will fly from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut to Montego Bay, Jamaica, achieving its goal of establishing non-stop service between the two locations.
Elected officials and various advocates have advocated a route from Bradley to Jamaica with flights that would serve Connecticut’s large Jamaican-American community in addition to promoting tourism and commerce. Connecticut is home to over 56,000 residents of Jamaican ancestry, with the state ranking fifth for the total number of people of Jamaican ancestry in the United States, according to U.S. Census data.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said that the announcement of Spirit Airlines’ new route will not only make it easier for residents of the state to travel directly to Jamaica, but will also reinforce Bradley International’s reputation as one of the best and most convenient airports available. Noting that Bradley Airport is an important economic driver for the state, he said the more airlines and destinations the airport serves, the more attractive Connecticut will become for companies looking to expand their operations there.
Spirit will fly to Montego Bay beginning December 15, 2022. Flights operate four times a week throughout the year. Montego Bay, Jamaica’s third most populous city, is one of the top resorts in the Caribbean. While pricing for the new route has yet to be announced, Atul Kumria, Senior Director of Airports at Spirit, noted that as an ultra-low-cost airline, the company prides itself on operating the best possible fares for its customers . Spirit’s Montego Bay service will complement its existing routes between Bradley International Airport and Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando and Tampa in Florida and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
To help establish non-stop service to Jamaica, a route that many state legislators and stakeholders have advocated for some time, Gov. Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly have allocated $2 million in the recent state budget, who would provide Spirit with refunds. by the State Department of Economic and Community Development over a two-year period if revenue from the route is lower than expected.
Representatives from the State of Connecticut, Spirit Airlines and the Jamaican diaspora expressed their excitement about the direct flights and the potential for economic benefits and the opportunity for families to have greater access to one another that the flights will bring.
Photo – Spirit Airlines
