Jamaica’s Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) will soon begin weekly scheduled international flights with InterCaribbean Airways out of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
On December 9, Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague announced that the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority has granted approval for InterCaribbean Airways to begin scheduled flights out of the IFIA.
These will be the first scheduled international flights operating out of the island’s smallest international airport. They form part of the Airports Authority of Jamaica’s efforts to increase traffic in and out of the IFIA, pumping in excess of USD$2M into the country’s economy.
“This development is particularly important because the largest single employer in the Turks and Caicos Islands is Sandals Resorts, the largest Jamaican owned luxury all-inclusive resort, with approximately 600 Jamaicans directly employed there and an estimated 6,000 Jamaicans and descendants living in the island,” said Montague.
Noting the limitations regarding the size of aircrafts that can fly in and out of the airport, InterCaribbean Airways will offer 30-seater planes that will operate out of the airport weekly. This is also with a view to ensure easier access to hotels, villas and guest houses in northern parishes and further boost the growing popularity of Jamaica’s northeastern region.
The Ian Fleming International Airport development project, which began in March 2018, includes the expansion of the existing terminal building and runway, as well as enhanced security.
The facility, which is owned and operated by the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), provides flight services to the United States and the Caribbean, and direct landing arrangements for private jet owners.
