Sangster traffic remains depressed

Passenger traffic through Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay remained sharply below pre-hurricane levels in April, falling 22 per cent year-on-year.

Airport operator Pacific Airport Group (GAP), which operates both Sangster International Airport and Norman Manley International Airport under concession, said the fall in passenger volumes has impacted its operations.

The New York Stock Exchange-listed company said the reduced traffic following Hurricane Melissa on October 28, 2025 is showing on its balance sheet.

“Revenues at the Jamaican airports decreased … mainly due to a 24.6 per cent decrease in passenger traffic during the first quarter, resulting from the impact of the Hurricane Melissa,” the company said in its financial results released in April. 

The financial impact has been most pronounced at Sangster International Airport. GAP reported that total revenue at the Montego Bay facility fell 34.6 per cent in the first quarter, with aeronautical revenue down 40.6 per cent and EBITDA declining 31.6 per cent, underscoring the scale of the hit to earnings. 

That quarterly decline aligns with continued weakness in monthly passenger traffic, including the April 22 per cent contraction recorded in Montego Bay, a slightly improvement over the quarter.

“Kingston recorded a decrease of 6.0 per cent, while Montego Bay recorded a decrease of 22 per cent, as a result of disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa,” GAP said in its April traffic report. 

The sustained weakness comes at a critical point in the tourism calendar, as airlines typically ramp up capacity ahead of the summer travel season when visitor arrivals peak. The continued decline highlights a slower recovery in visitor demand, with GAP indicating that passenger traffic has not yet fully returned to pre-storm levels.

Hurricane Melissa forced the temporary closure of both international airports. 

Traffic data since then show a sharp collapse followed by a gradual but incomplete recovery. Passenger volumes at Montego Bay plunged 73.4 per cent in November before narrowing to declines of 43.8 per cent in December and 37.7 per cent in January. The contraction eased further to 31.4 per cent in February and 25.7 per cent in March, before reaching 22 per cent in April. 

Despite that steady improvement, traffic remains significantly below pre-hurricane levels heading into the peak travel period.

GAP said the slower recovery reflects ongoing constraints in Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure, particularly along the north coast corridor that feeds Montego Bay.

“The impact of Hurricane Melissa … continued to weigh on the recovery of hotel capacity along the tourist corridor between Negril and Ocho Ríos; as a result, passenger traffic has not yet fully recovered,” the company said in its quarterly report to shareholders. 

The weakness has been most pronounced at Sangster, where international passenger traffic declined 31.5 per cent in the first quarter, compared with a much smaller fall at Kingston, reflecting differences in demand across the island’s two main gateways. 

Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport has been more stable, supported by a broader mix of business, diaspora and regional travel, while Montego Bay remains closely tied to hotel-driven leisure demand.

The pressures on Jamaica’s tourism gateways are also unfolding against a broader shift in global aviation, where airlines are tightening capacity and focusing on profitability. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said carriers are adjusting schedules as costs rise, noting that airlines continue to cut schedules in response to higher fuel prices, signalling a more cautious approach to capacity deployment across several markets.

carolyn.guniss@rjrgleaner.com