WINDSOR LOCKS, CT – (Inquiring News Report) – State Representative Bobby Gibson Thursday was joined by Governor Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Airport Authority and Spirit Airlines to announce that the airline will be adding new, nonstop service from Bradley International Airport to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The announcement caps an effort from state officials – like Rep. Gibson – and advocates to establish nonstop service to Jamaica from Connecticut’s largest airport.
The service is scheduled to launch on December 15, 2022, and will operate year-round, four times weekly. This is the first time that a nonstop flight to Jamaica is being offered by any airline that services Bradley International Airport.
Connecticut is home to one of the largest Jamaican communities in the world, boasting the fifth largest population of residents with Jamaican ancestry among all U.S. states. According to census data, there are more than 56,000 residents with Jamaican ancestry in Connecticut.
“Connecticut has a significant population of residents with Jamaican ancestry, and I am proud to announce that this long-awaited nonstop service is being added at Bradley,” Governor Lamont said. “Today’s announcement with Spirit Airlines not only makes it easier for our state’s residents to directly travel to Jamaica, but it also strengthens Bradley’s reputation as one of the best and most convenient airports available. Bradley is a key economic driver for Connecticut, and the more airlines and destinations that we can add from the airport, the more attractive our state becomes to companies that are seeking to grow their own operations here. I am excited that we are partnering with Spirit Airlines to make direct travel between Connecticut and Jamaica a reality, and I look forward to the airline’s continued growth in our state.”
In its most recent Readers’ Choice Awards, Condé Nast Traveler ranked Bradley International Airport as the third best airport in the United States. The rankings are based on more than 800,000 responses from readers who rated their travel experiences across the globe.
“Spirit Airlines is excited to launch our first ever international flight from Bradley International Airport,” John Kirby, vice president of network planning for Spirit Airlines, said. “We sincerely appreciate our partnership with the airport and the opportunities to grow since launching service in 2017. We have tremendous teams both here in Connecticut and in Montego Bay and have proudly served Jamaica since 2005. We can’t wait to provide our Guests with More Go.”
In recent years, a coalition of advocates, led by State Representative Bobby Gibson (D-Bloomfield, Windsor) and Caribbean Trade Council President Andrew Lawrence, assembled to help the Connecticut Airport Authority convince an airline to launch nonstop service from Bradley International Airport to Jamaica. Governor Lamont and the General Assembly included an allocation of $2 million in the recently enacted state budget for the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to help attract the nonstop service.
“This is amazing and welcome news to the community as Connecticut has the fifth largest population of people from the Jamaican diaspora in the United States,” Representative Gibson said. “I have long advocated for these direct flights and have continued my collaborative work to finally see this project come to fruition. I am not only excited to see families have greater access to each other, but also this will offer successful financial gain to the state.”
“We are excited about the economic opportunities this new service unlocks for Connecticut and look forward to building on our relationship with the country of Jamaica,” David Lehman, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said.
“The Connecticut Airport Authority is thrilled to offer service to yet another exciting travel destination with today’s announcement of nonstop Jamaica service,” Tony Sheridan, chair of the Connecticut Airport Authority Board of Directors, said. “Thank you to all of the state officials whose efforts and support were indispensable in making today’s announcement a reality.”
“We have pursued nonstop Jamaica service at Bradley International Airport for years now in an effort to meet our community’s needs, and we are proud to finally make it a reality with Spirit’s partnership,” Kevin A. Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, said. “I have no doubt that this service will be successful, and I am proud that Bradley International Airport will be able to offer convenient connectivity for the state’s strong Jamaican population, their friends, and their relatives.”
Connecticut State Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden also participated in a press conference at Bradley International Airport highlighting the new non-stop service to Jamaica, to be provided by Spirit Airlines.
“Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Connecticut. This has been years in the making,” said Treasurer Wooden.“My first conversation about this was probably close to a decade ago when I was City Council President of Hartford. As a member of the CAA board, I appreciate everyone’s hard work in making this a reality.”
Treasurer Wooden was a champion of the direct flight program to Jamaica, which, similar to the Aer Lingus direct flights to Ireland, included an incentive package from the Connecticut Airport Authority as well as a revenue guarantee from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). This year’s state budget included $2 million in state funds to be used for the revenue guarantee to help incentivize an airline to provide non-stop service from Hartford to Jamaica.
“The West Indian community is the largest population of foreign-born immigrants in our state, and the fifth largest in the U.S. We want to ensure that our partnership with the islands remains strong,” continued Treasurer Wooden. “It’s my job to evaluate long-term investment strategy, and I can tell you that the state’s support in this effort is a good investment to enhance our commerce, our communities, and our cultural ties.”
Treasurer Wooden is a member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Airport Authority.
