Hurricane Melissa Continues to Weigh on Passenger Traffic in Q3 2026

• Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), the operator of Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, reported continued weakness in passenger traffic at the two international airports in the third quarter of 2026 (Q3 2026).
• The impact continued to be more pronounced at SIA, given Montego Bay’s greater exposure to the tourism downturn, while Kingston's traffic has been comparatively stable.
• NMIA recorded a modest improvement in quarterly traffic, with passenger volumes increasing 1.1% YoY to roughly 535,000 in Q3 2026, compared with a 4.0% decline in Q2 2026. This improvement was also reflected in the year-to-date figures. While the contraction narrowed to 1.8% in 9M 2026 from 3.6% in 6M 2026, 9M 2026 passenger traffic remained below the prior-year level at 1.39Mn.
• In contrast, SIA’s passenger traffic declined by 23.0% year-over-year (YoY) to 957,700 in Q3 2026, bringing the year-to-date (9M 2026) total to 2.87Mn (-25.5%). The contraction continues to reflect the slower recovery in tourism-related activity, with limited hotel capacity being a major factor. Several major hotels were closed while they conducted repairs following extensive damage caused by the Hurricane. Still, with September 2026’s monthly arrivals down only 16.6%, relative to 37.7% in January, the arrival gap is narrowing.
• A rebound in Jamaica’s tourism would support a gradual improvement in passenger traffic, especially at SIA and NMIA. Airline seat allocations for the January–April 2027 winter season have increased 23.5% YoY to 1.32Mn, approximately 252,000 additional seats, signalling renewed confidence in the island’s tourism outlook following Hurricane Melissa, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Furthermore, capacity from Canada and Latin America has also surpassed pre-hurricane 2025 levels, while overall winter capacity has recovered to 92.4% of the 2025 total.
• The reopening of more than 2,300 rooms, expected between October and December 2026, could underpin the seasonal increase in demand and lead to an increase in passenger traffic at SIA. Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Bahia Principe Explore Runaway Bay, Sandals Resort Montego Bay and Sandals Caribbean Cay, formerly Sandals Royal Caribbean, are scheduled to reopen during this period, with Sandals already announcing December 18, 2026 reopening dates for its properties.
• Nonetheless, translating hotels reopening and confirming reservations ahead of the winter season is critical to converting additional seat capacity into actual visitor arrivals. Travellers unable to secure suitable accommodation may choose competing destinations.

(Sources: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, Caribbean Today & NCBCM Research)