As summer draws to a close and Canadian thoughts turn to winter vacations, Jamaica is getting ready to welcome an influx of visitors, with an airlift of 400,000 seats from Canadian airports. Jamaica’s second largest source market is poised for further growth with the seats that will be available for the 2026/2027 winter season. The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) reports that this marks a significant expansion of airlift from the Canadian market.
The increase is driven by expanded service from long-standing airline partners Air Canada and Sunwing, together with new non-stop service from Porter Airlines, underscoring sustained confidence in Jamaica as a leading warm-weather destination for Canadian travellers.
“This expanded airlift from Canada is a direct vote of trust and confidence in Jamaica's tourism product and in the strength of our partnerships with Air Canada, Sunwing, WestJet and now Porter Airlines,” said the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism.
The added capacity comes as Jamaica continues to strengthen its position as Canada's preferred Caribbean destination, offering more choice, more frequency and more direct routings from key Canadian gateways into the island’s two major airports.
Canada remains one of Jamaica's top-performing source markets, and the additional seat capacity is expected to play a critical role in helping the destination reach its ambitious 2030 goals under the Tourism 3.0 framework: 600,000 annual visitor arrivals from Canada and US$750 million in tourism earnings from the market. “Reaching 600,000 annual visitors and US$750 million in earnings from Canada by 2030 requires the kind of sustained airlift growth we are seeing today,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism.
The new Porter Airlines service adds a further option for Canadian travellers, joining Air Canada, Flair, Transat, Caribbean Airlines and WestJet in offering enhanced connectivity between Canada and Jamaica this winter.
The JTB continues to work closely with airline partners, travel agents and tour operators across Canada to convert this added capacity into sustained visitor growth and broaden Jamaica's appeal across key Canadian markets, including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax, Moncton, St. John, Winnipeg and Hamilton.
“The expanded winter airlift builds on Jamaica's broader strategy of diversifying and strengthening airlift across its top source markets, reinforcing the destination's resilience and positioning within a competitive global tourism landscape,” said Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada, Jamaica Tourist Board.
Topics From This Article to Explore
