Jamaica’s airports recorded a sharp decline in passenger traffic after Hurricane Melissa disrupted travel to the island, with the largest impact felt at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, the country’s main gateway for resort visitors.

Passenger traffic at Sangster fell 31% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to figures from airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP). The operator attributed the decline to the effects of Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in late 2025 and disrupted tourism activity and airport operations.

The decline persisted into the second quarter. Passenger traffic at Sangster was down 22% year-on-year in April 2026, according to GAP data, indicating that the airport’s recovery remained gradual.

Kingston Traffic

The impact was more limited at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, where passenger traffic declined 3.2% during the same period, according to figures from PAC Kingston Airport Limited. The contrasting performance reflects the different roles of Jamaica’s two largest airports: Montego Bay is heavily dependent on leisure travel, while Kingston serves a broader mix of business, domestic, regional and diaspora traffic.

National aviation data also showed the scale of the disruption. Passenger movements at Jamaica’s two main international airports fell 35% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter a year earlier, with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority citing Hurricane Melissa as a major factor affecting traffic levels.

The figures highlight the uneven recovery path following major weather events. Airports serving tourism-heavy markets can experience prolonged traffic declines when visitor flows are interrupted, while gateways with more diversified passenger bases may recover more quickly.

For Caribbean aviation, the latest data points to a recovery process that is likely to be measured not only by the reopening of airports, but by the return of passenger volumes.