Air Jamaica is to increase flights to St. Lucia and Barbados, effective January 11, 2007.

The announcement was made by George deMercado, senior executive of Air Jamaica, who told JIS News that the airline would boost its non-stop schedule from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, to Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia from three to four weekly flights.

Those flights would continue to Barbados, thus increasing the service to that country.

Performed well

"The St. Lucia/Barbados service has performed very well since we resumed service to St. Lucia in February," said Mr. deMercado, who noted that load factors have been particularly strong throughout the summer season.

"We have a very special relationship with the Eastern Caribbean and are happy to see it grow strategically over the past six months," he said.

He said Air Jamaica regretted that it could not operate the new schedule earlier, because of the "soft" fall season and the unavailability of aircraft during the peak Christmas period.

However, Mr. deMercado announced that effective September 11 this year, Air Jamaica's hub flights between Jamaica and Barbados and St. Lucia would move from Kingston to the Montego Bay hub on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, offering many connections to and from its U.S. gateways.