KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—The Jamaica government announced Wednesday that the Dubai-based Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines with a network spanning over 150 destinations, will begin servicing the Caribbean country next month.
“This is one of the great accomplishments of my tenure as minister. We began discussions with Emirates before COVID, and now we are finally seeing it come to fruition,” Education Minister Edmund Bartlett said as he announced that the carrier would be offering its service to the English-speaking Caribbean.
“As early as 2021, I met with the chairman of Emirates, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and his team, along with my team, and we started working with the NATA (North Atlantic Tourism Association) and other travel partners in the area to build out an arrangement that would allow for Emirates to fly to Jamaica as the opening up of the Caribbean link with the richest market of the world today,” he added.
He said the new service, which begins April 10 from Dubai, will transit through Germany before landing in Montego Bay. It positions Jamaica as a strategic hub for Middle Eastern tourism in the Caribbean.
“This will achieve several objectives, including reinforcing Montego Bay’s role as a hub. It aligns with the multi-destination tourism strategy we’ve been championing and firmly places Jamaica at the center of a new wave of travel connectivity.”
Bartlett said the island is set to strengthen ties with emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia, and beyond, opening doors to increased investment and cultural exchange.
“Jamaica will now position itself as a leading destination in the region for multiple markets worldwide,” Bartlett said as he hailed the service as a “transformative milestone” for the country’s tourism and economic sectors.
The service is expected to run until December 26, 2026.
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