Bartlett: Emirates deal key step in driving multi-destination tourism
Government touting opportunities from flights between Dubai and Montego Bay via code-sharing
Published:Saturday | March 29, 2025 | 12:08 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Jamaican Government is standing firm on its pronouncement that Emirates Airline will launch weekly scheduled flights between Dubai and Montego Bay starting April 10, via a code-sharing arrangement.
“Starting next month, Emirates Airline will begin steps to create easier direct flights between Jamaica and Dubai through a code-sharing partnership with German Airline Condor. The aim is to ultimately begin nonstop service,” the tourism ministry announced on Wednesday.
This would make Emirates the first Middle Eastern airline to offer service to the English-speaking Caribbean.
However, since Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett’s announcement, confusion arose about the arrangement, with Opposition Senator Janice Allen, the People’s National Party (PNP) spokesperson on tourism, calling for clarification from the minister.
The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) published an advertisement in The Gleaner on Wednesday, March 26, detailing an application from Emirates Airline to operate flights between Dubai and Montego Bay via Frankfurt, starting April 10, 2025, and running until December 26, 2026. The ad confirmed that the Frankfurt-Montego Bay leg would be operated by Condor Flugdienst GmbH under a code-sharing agreement.
According to JCAA, service in intended to operate “between the United Arab Emirates and Jamaica via Germany”. The route is outlined as “Dubai/Frankfurt/Montego Bay/Frankfurt/Dubai”. The flights will be weekly on Wednesdays via the Boeing 777-300.
“Emirates flying to Jamaica will create new opportunities for our manufacturers, agricultural producers, and entertainers,” Bartlett said on Thursday.
“This is a key step in driving multi-destination tourism and strengthening the supply side of the sector.”
NOT FULLY AWARE
Nonetheless, on Thursday, Vivianh Huynh, a senior account executive claiming to be associated with Emirates, sent an email to the media stating that the airline has “no official plans in place to start flights to Jamaica”.
The email added, “While we continuously evaluate opportunities to enhance our network and serve new markets, any official announcements regarding new routes or services will be communicated through our official channels.”
When contacted by The Gleaner yesterday about the statement from Huynh, Bartlett suggested that Huynh might not be fully aware of the details of the arrangement between Emirates and Jamaica.
Efforts by The Gleaner to obtain further clarification from Emirates officials and Huynh were unsuccessful.
Code-sharing, a common practice in the aviation industry, allows one airline to market flights operated by another, giving passengers access to a wider range of destinations.