Major airlines jetting into Sangster International Airport

­ N.T. - CARRANDI

THE U.S. multi-million dollar expansion programme being undertaken at the Sangster International Airport continues to reap tremendous results.

Consequently, major airlines are jetting in, increasing visitor arrivals by leaps and bounds.

Five new airlines are now flying into the airport on a daily and weekly basis. These include Canjet, Spirit, Pace Airways, Allegiant Air and Sunwing. Eight existing airlines will be expanding their services in order to cope with the demand, while nine others, which had ceased operating in Jamaica, will be returning to the island's skies. These include North American, Ryan International, First Choice, Austrian Air, Miami Air, Sun Country, Belair, Air Transat and West Jet.

"Since the start of the winter season we have experienced an increase in the number of travelers using the airport. I believe this is as a result of the increase in hotel rooms and the efforts on the part of the tourism ministry to promote Jamaica in the overseas market. We are also benefiting from other regions which were affected by hurricane. All these factors work in a positive way to bring more tourists to Jamaica," said Ferdinand Carrandi, acting chief executive officer of the Sangster airport.

Carrandi said they were also seeing an increase in the number of charter airlines using the Montego Bay hub and greater prospects with Virgin Atlantic scheduled to commence weekly flights from London, effective July 2006. He added that the charter airlines played an integral part in filling the hotel rooms.

PURSUING OTHER CARRIERS

"We are also actively pursuing other airlines to fly into Jamaica, especially those from Europe and North America. We are very optimistic as to what is going to happen with the air traffic for Montego Bay," Carrandi stated.

Asked how prepared the airport was to accommodate the flow of traffic, he said, "the current halls used by immigration and customs would be doubled while the baggage carousels would be increased."

Check-in counters will also be increased from 77 to 99. Immigration officers will operate from 32 desks up from 12 and six X-ray machines will be put in.

He said a modern customs hall is to be built, "We are expecting to see an increase in visitor arrivals from the European market. We need to pursue this market more aggressively. We clearly have good opportunities to promote this destination in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the U.K."