Fort Lauderdale has overtaken New York because the main vacation spot for air passengers departing from Kingston, Jamaica, marking a historic shift in journey patterns between the 2 cities.
This milestone was revealed by Sitara English-Byfield, CEO of PAC Kingston Airport Restricted (PACKAL), which manages Norman Manley Worldwide Airport (NMIA).
January 2025 noticed a document surge in arrivals from the town, with visitors rising 25 %—practically double the 14 % progress recorded for New York. Different in style locations from Kingston embody Miami, Toronto, Atlanta, London, and several other Caribbean and Latin American cities.
“Fort Lauderdale is the primary metropolis for the primary time,” English-Byfield introduced at an airport discussion board hosted by PACKAL in New Kingston final Thursday. “For all of NMIA’s life, I imagine it was all the time New York adopted by Fort Lauderdale.”
The spike in air visitors to Fort Lauderdale coincides with Caribbean Airways’ enlargement of each day flights on the Kingston-Fort Lauderdale route. Since March, the airline has elevated service from three weekly flights to each day operations, responding on to demand from the Jamaican diaspora. JetBlue has additionally boosted flights alongside this route.
– Commercial –
“At Caribbean Airways, we perceive that house is the place the guts is—and for a lot of Jamaicans dwelling in Fort Lauderdale and past, house is each right here and again in Jamaica,” mentioned Caribbean Airways CEO Garvin Medera on the launch of the expanded service. “Whether or not you might be visiting household, conducting enterprise, returning for a well-earned trip, or just eager for the heat of the island, this route is designed with you in thoughts. It was reintroduced based mostly on suggestions from you—as a result of at Caribbean Airways, we pay attention. You requested, and we answered. Your voices form our service, and your wants drive our choices.”
Throughout Jamaica’s three worldwide airports, JetBlue, Delta Airways, and Southwest maintain the biggest market shares. Complete passenger numbers at NMIA grew to 428,100 between January and March, a 9.2 % enhance over the earlier 12 months. The airport, which at present handles about two million passengers yearly, has the capability to serve as much as 5 million.
The rise in journey to Fort Lauderdale aligns with demographic developments in the US. Based on the 2020 U.S. Census, Broward County, Florida—the place the town is situated—hosts the biggest Jamaican inhabitants in any U.S. county, with 96,527 residents figuring out as Jamaican (alone or together with different identities). The Jamaican neighborhood is concentrated not solely in Fort Lauderdale but additionally in close by cities equivalent to Lauderdale Lakes, Plantation, and Hollywood.
This rising connection between Kingston and Fort Lauderdale highlights the important position of the Jamaican diaspora in shaping journey patterns and cultural ties. With elevated flights and document passenger numbers, Fort Lauderdale is changing into the brand new gateway for Jamaicans touring to and from the island, reinforcing the enduring bonds of dwelling and heritage.
