Airlift Connectivity a Focus for Caribbean Tourism
At the Routes Americas 2026 conference, Caribbean tourism leaders are focused on solving regional airlift challenges. Key topics include improving inter-island connectivity, upgrading airport infrastructure, and fostering public-private partnerships to support the flow of guests and goods.
High operational costs, regulatory hurdles, and fragmented markets have long constrained inter-island air travel, creating significant logistics challenges. High government taxes and fees, coupled with inefficiencies and a lack of scale for smaller airlines, contribute to some of the highest travel costs globally, hindering the seamless movement of goods and personnel between islands. In early March 2026, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and Airports Council International - Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the CTO Air Connectivity Summit in Bermuda. This strategic partnership aims to create a unified framework for improving air access, coordinating route development, and aligning airport infrastructure modernization with tourism goals. A key focus of the CTO's strategy is developing a hub-and-spoke model to improve connectivity. This initiative, supported by a strategic study from air service development leader ASM, will analyze demand patterns and identify opportunities for strengthening airline cooperation to streamline travel between islands and with key international markets. The study is expected to provide recommendations for enhancing the CTO's advocacy for more efficient air travel by October 2025. Massive infrastructure upgrades are already underway across the region to support this push. Jamaica's Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is undergoing a $180 million expansion to handle a projected increase to 5 million passengers annually. In the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana International Airport is in the midst of a $90 million modernization project to increase its capacity to 5,000 passengers per hour. These airport projects frequently rely on public-private partnerships (PPPs) to fund development. Jamaica's successful 30-year concession for Sangster International Airport is often cited as a model for using private capital to upgrade critical infrastructure. The goal is to reduce the financial burden on governments while leveraging private sector expertise to improve efficiency and service quality. Airlines are responding with expanded service. For the winter 2025-2026 season, new nonstop routes from the U.S. and Canada to Nassau have added significant capacity. American Airlines expanded its Caribbean footprint in 2025 with new routes to destinations like South Caicos and Bimini, while LATAM Airlines Group will have launched over 30 new international routes between 2025 and mid-2026.
