Hurricane Melissa's 2025 Impact: Jamaica Aviation Sees 524,000 Passenger Drop

Jamaica’s aviation sector closed 2025 with a significant Jamaica passenger traffic decline. The island recorded 524,000 fewer passengers overall. This marks the largest annual drop since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary cause was the devastating Hurricane Melissa aviation impact in October.

Impact on Major Airports

The downturn was heavily concentrated at Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay. MBJ is the main gateway for Jamaica’s crucial leisure tourism. The airport closed 2025 with 4.47 million passengers. This figure represents a sharp 11.6 per cent decline from 2024. The drop translates to a loss of 588,000 travellers year-on-year.

In contrast, Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston showed resilience. KIN handles more business travel and returning residents. The airport reported 1.84 million passengers, an increase of 3.6 per cent. This growth of 64,000 travellers was insufficient to offset the losses at MBJ. Combined, the two airports managed by Pacific Airport Group (GAP) saw the net decline of 524,000.

The Role of Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 storm, the most catastrophic in Jamaica's history. It struck the western quadrant of the island, severely damaging hotels and tour operations. This led to widespread flight and hotel cancellations. The Montego Bay tourism collapse directly drove the passenger numbers down. The storm reversed gains made after Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Before Melissa struck, tourism indicators were trending up. Stopover arrivals in July and August 2025 were up 7.0 per cent year-on-year. The storm's late-year timing, however, hit the start of the critical winter travel season.

Industry Vulnerability and Outlook

The decline underscores the Caribbean tourism sector's high vulnerability to external shocks. Tourism is the backbone of Jamaica's economy, contributing up to 30 per cent of its GDP. The loss of leisure arrivals could not be covered by business travel.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), the Mexican operator of the two main Jamaican airports, manages 14 total airports. GAP’s overall portfolio saw a marginal 0.1 per cent increase in December traffic. The Jamaica downturn was therefore a major outlier for the group, which is a significant global aviation player, similar to the scope of companies like Airbus.

• The December traffic drop was severe, with 210,100 fewer passengers than the previous year.
• MBJ saw a 43.8 per cent fall in December alone.
• New routes added by carriers like WestJet, Flair, and Wingo were insufficient to mitigate the losses.

GAP has warned that the sector will remain under pressure through the first quarter of 2026. The pace of recovery depends heavily on hotel repairs and the full restoration of tour operations. Tourism officials indicated a return to full operational capacity is expected by May 2026. The data highlights the need for robust disaster resilience planning across the region. For more updates on global aviation, visit our commercial aviation news section [https://flying.flights]. The international aviation community, represented by bodies like IATA, monitors such regional disruptions closely.