PNP blames Government for sky-high airfares — but Jamaica doesn’t set ticket prices
Jamaica Live News Desk– | Sept 12, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A political row has erupted over the rising cost of travelling to Jamaica, after Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages Andrea Purkiss, MP, criticised the Government amid complaints of extraordinarily high airline ticket prices.
Purkiss argued that Jamaicans overseas are increasingly being priced out of travelling home, highlighting a reported US$3,700 airfare for a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica, as well as complaints of sold-out flights and sharply higher fares across several carriers.
She also pointed to declining visitor arrivals, saying arrival numbers are down more than 16 per cent compared with 2024, and called for greater accountability and solutions from the Government.
However, Government Senator and Jamaica Labour Party Communications Taskforce member Marlon Morgan has pushed back, accusing the Opposition of attempting to capitalise politically on the frustration facing travellers.
Morgan noted that Jamaica does not own the international airlines serving the country and the Government does not determine the ticket prices charged by private carriers. Airfares are largely influenced by airline capacity, passenger demand, competition, routes, operating costs and wider market conditions.
He pointed to several factors that he believes are contributing to the current situation, including reduced hotel room capacity following Hurricane Melissa, changes to airline routes, the withdrawal of Spirit Airlines from the market and higher fuel costs associated with geopolitical tensions.
The controversy therefore raises an important question: What specifically can the Jamaican Government reasonably be expected to do about fares established by private international airlines?
While the Government can pursue policies aimed at attracting additional carriers, increasing competition and supporting Jamaica’s aviation and tourism sectors, it cannot simply order a privately owned airline to reduce the price of a ticket.
If the Opposition believes Government policy has directly contributed to the soaring fares, the debate may ultimately come down to identifying those policies and presenting specific measures that could realistically bring prices down.
For Jamaicans overseas struggling with the cost of coming home, however, the political argument does not change the immediate reality: flying to Jamaica has become painfully expensive for some travellers — and they want solutions.