New airline to start commercial operations in Jamaica

Jamaica Air Shuttle will become the latest carrier to enter the domestic airline services market when it starts commercial passenger service on the Tinson Pen Kingston to Montego Bay route on Friday.

The introduction of Jamaica Air Shuttle will come just four months after another carrier -Skylan Airways – began offering domestic airline services between Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport.
However, the development of Jamaica Air Shuttle will mark the reintroduction of regular passenger air services at the Tinson Pen Aerodrome, which has been without such service for the past several years.

Jamaica Air Shuttle will operate three 14-seater twin turbo-prop Beechcraft 99 aircraft. The company said in a press release on Friday that “The airline will operate at least 31 ‘on demand’ round-trip services per week between Tinson Pen and Montego Bay in the initial phase of its operations,” adding that “Increases in frequency on that route and expansion to Boscobel, Negril and Port Antonio are planned.”

The flight time from Tinson Pen to Montego Bay in the Beech 99 will be 23 minutes, the company added.

According to Jamaica Air Shuttle’s managing director, Christopher Read, the airline was established in response to “persistent calls” by the local business community, professional and tourism interests for the re-introduction of “dedicated” domestic passenger service, particularly between Tinson Pen and Montego Bay.