US issues travel advisory for Jamaica as airline service begins to return

Vinod Sreeharsha and Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald on Nov 3, 2025

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Montego Bay’s international airport opened with a reduced capacity over the weekend, even as the U.S. State Department warned Americans to “reconsider travel” to Jamaica.

The Caribbean nation slowly started the long recovery from the worst hurricane to hit Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 at on Oct. 28 in New Hope, on the southwestern tip of the island.

At least 19 people died, and roads and buildings suffered damage.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said on X over the weekend that 11 flights arrived and departed Sunday from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Those included an American Airlines plane from Miami International Airport. A Southwest flight from Orlando arrived as did two Delta planes from Atlanta.

From outside the U.S., a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow arrived and one LATAM plane from Lima came in, Vaz said.

On Saturday, three flights arrived and departed from Sangster. The flights could have been carrying relief supplies.

The U.S. has issued a Level 3 travel advisory, indicating a “natural disaster” risk. The advisory requested that people “consider rescheduling planned travel to Jamaica at this time.”

As part of the advisory, the Department of State authorized non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees to leave Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa. It noted it had “temporarily reduced staffing and may limit routine services for U.S. citizens.”

This comes after Jamaica for years had complained about U.S. travel warnings being a detriment to tourism.

Hurricane Melissa is a major setback for the country’s all-important tourism industry. Jamaica last year welcomed nearly 5 million tourists and raked in $4.3 billion. Many enjoy the country’s rural areas, which were hard-hit by the hurricane. Tourism is a leading source of foreign exchange earned for the Caribbean country.

In October, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett launched new visitor targets for Jamaica, visiting the United Kingdom and New York where he marketed the country. Now the country can expect a drop in tourism and faces a daunting rebuilding effort.

Still, it’s slowly making progress.

Vaz said Sunday that the western part of the country is recovering, with telecommunications and internet access coming back.

“Communication is coming back slowly but surely,” he wrote.

He also noted that gasoline retailers were telling him that “they’re finally able to get the tankers in.”

The minister said the United States is providing assistance, with three Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, along with with relief and supplies distribution, air transport, medevac, and search and rescue.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jamaica earlier this year during his first visit to the Caribbean in his new role and heard the pleas of officials citing the progress in their homicide rate. Rubio later cited the improvements as he departed.

In the wake of Melissa, Jamaican authorities have rushed to get their international airports back operating, not just to receive relief flights but also commercial carriers bringing visitors.

On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to support the country in its recovery.

Guterres’ spokesman said the U.N. chief spoke with Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness, to express his solidarity with the government and people of Jamaica as they deal with the devastation.

“The Secretary-General emphasized that international support is crucial at this time,” the spokesman said. “He calls for the mobilization of massive resources to deal with the loss and damage from the hurricane.”

U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund so U.N. agencies and their partners can rapidly scale up humanitarian operations in Jamaica

Getting the airports up will be key to the recovery.

American Airlines resumed flights to Montego Bay on Sunday, a spokesperson said. A Boeing 737, flight AA3154, left MIA at 1:20 p.m. It departed Montego Bay at 4:29 p.m. Sunday.

On Saturday, the carrier resumed operations at Ocho Rios airport. An Embraer E175 aircraft left MIA at 12:20 p.m local time and departed Ocho Rios at 1:40 p.m.

American continued multiple daily flights to and from Kingston, both regularly scheduled flights and extra ones to Charlotte, Dallas Fort Worth and Miami.

Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport has been open since last week,.

“The airline remains in contact with local authorities and team members to monitor conditions across Jamaica,” according to an airline statement. The carrier “will adjust operations as needed to ensure safety and reliability.”

American also said it’d waive fees on up to two checked bags on all flights in and out of Jamaica. That’ll go until Nov. 9.

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