Unprofitable Caribbean routes ditched by BA

Carrier drops flights to Cancun, Havana and Montego Bay to focus on the remainder of the network

Unprofitable Caribbean routes ditched by BA

Report by TANYAJEFFERIES

BRITISH Airways is to axe services to Cancun, Havana and Montego Bay from March next year because the Caribbean routes are unprofitable.

The airline has been operating to Montego Bay for 40 years, and it introduced flights to Cancun and Havana in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

BA head of leisure Robin Hayes said that although these particular routes out of Gatwick are generating high load factors, yields are not high enough to cover costs due to rising fuel prices and competitive pressures.

“These destinations have not been profitable for us so we have decided to suspend them and focus on the rest of our Caribbean network,” he said.

BA is launching a service to the Turks and Caicos from June 3 this year. However, it is currently carrying out a review of capacity on other Caribbean routes and will make an announcement about their future shortly.

Jamaica Tourist Board deputy director David Barber said he was not surprised by BA’s decision to drop Montego Bay. He said the airline is clearly trying to rationalise unprofitable routes and pointed out BA still has a service to Kingston.

“We are luckier than most in that we have our own carrier, Air Jamaica,” he said.

Kuoni product director Francis Torrilla said: “We can understand why BA has done this but we are disappointed because it will impact on business to these destinations.”

He said BA is the only scheduled carrier operating direct flights to Havana and Cancun, so Kuoni will have to rely on less convenient, indirect services.

Caribbean Tourism Organisation director marketing Europe Jo Spalburg said:”We are disappointed as these destinations are doing well. However, there are still alternative routes we can use.”

Dropped:the airline will be scrapping its flights to Havana from next March