Breeze postpones launch of its first Jamaica routes

Zach Griff

2 months ago

ZACH GRIFF

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Breeze Airways won’t be spreading its wings quite as widely as initially promised.

The upstart carrier will no longer launch flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica, in February. The airline quietly updated its schedule over the weekend, showing that service to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) has been postponed, as first seen in Cirium data.

Montego Bay had been slated to become one of Breeze’s first three international destinations, alongside Cancun and Punta Cana.

The affected routes include Tampa and Raleigh-Durham to Montego Bay, which were initially scheduled to begin Feb. 11 and March 5, respectively.

Breeze says it now plans to launch Montego Bay service at an unannounced date in late 2026, citing damage from Hurricane Melissa as the reason for the delay.

In a statement, the airline said the following.

While we were excited to launch service to Montego Bay early in the new year, due to extensive damage to both airport facilities and resorts in the region following Hurricane Melissa, we will be delaying our service from MBJ until late 2026.

We apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused our Guests and look forward to welcoming them back on board later in the year.

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Notably, Jamaica says it has reopened and is welcoming visitors once again, even at the resorts that were heavily affected by the Category 5 hurricane.

The delay comes as Breeze has been working for months to secure the necessary approvals to operate international service from the U.S.

After receiving FAA certification as a U.S. flag carrier, Breeze announced its first three international destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, launching just a few months later.

Breeze’s first international routes. CIRIUM

In deciding where to inaugurate international service, the airline prioritized routes that required the least advance notice and complexity.

That strategy led Breeze to what I previously described as more “boring” destinations in an exclusive interview with airline chief commercial officer Lukas Johnson.

More “exciting” destinations are coming, Johnson said, but they require a longer booking window to fill flights.

That said, for airports and regions that have never had nonstop service to Cancun or Punta Cana, Breeze’s international expansion is still a notable development.

It’s just disappointing news for Raleigh-Durham and Tampa travelers, who will now have to wait a bit longer for regularly scheduled nonstop service to Montego Bay.

Zach Griff Author

Zach Griff is a travel expert who’s covered airlines, loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel tech for nearly a decade. He’s visited 60+ countries and regularly shares his insights across Instagram, TikTok and X — and at From the Tray Table.

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