Caribbean Airlines cuts Fort Lauderdale Jamaica flights

Published on Sep 24, 2025, 4:21 pm CDT

6 min read

Caribbean Airlines will suspend both Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Jamaica routes on November 2, 2025, removing nonstop service to Montego Bay and Kingston as part of a broader network reduction. The move follows a six-month run for the Montego Bay link, which the carrier relaunched in March after a long hiatus. At the same time, the airline has introduced an Air Caraïbes codeshare that opens one-ticket connections via Martinique or Guadeloupe to Paris Orly.

Key Points

Why it matters: South Florida loses two nonstop options to Jamaica from Fort Lauderdale, shifting demand to other carriers and Miami.
Travel impact: Last flights operate November 1, 2025, with refunds offered to affected customers.
What's next: A new Air Caraïbes codeshare adds Paris Orly access via Martinique or Guadeloupe on single-ticket itineraries.
Refunds and through-check benefits are available on the codeshare, including all boarding passes at first check-in.
Competitive pressure at Fort Lauderdale may intensify across JetBlue, Spirit, and American.

Snapshot

Caribbean Airlines will discontinue its Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood International Airport (FLL), routes to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston effective November 2, 2025. The airline cites economic conditions on the Jamaica-Fort Lauderdale market and a need to reallocate resources for fleet efficiency and reliability. Customers booked on or after the cutoff will receive full refunds. The MBJ route had only resumed in March with daily service, reflecting strong diaspora ties and an initial push for growth. Parallel to the cuts, Caribbean Airlines now codeshares with Air Caraïbes, enabling one-ticket travel from its network through Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF) or Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP) to Paris Orly Airport (ORY), with through-checked bags and coordinated connections.

Background

Caribbean Airlines relaunched Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay on March 11, 2025, after several years away from the market, scheduling daily service that totaled about 1,323 seats per week in each direction. The route was pitched as a diaspora connector for the large Jamaican community in South Florida. The Kingston link from Fort Lauderdale returned slightly earlier, framing a two-station Jamaica strategy at FLL across MBJ and KIN. By late summer, however, competitive and macroeconomic pressures at Fort Lauderdale sharpened, and the airline signaled a network optimization effort. The November suspension aligns with that review, with the company emphasizing cost management and reliability while offering refunds to impacted travelers.

Latest Developments

Service suspensions at Fort Lauderdale start November 2, last flights November 1

Caribbean Airlines confirmed it will remove both Fort Lauderdale roundtrips, FLL to MBJ and FLL to KIN, with last operations scheduled November 1, 2025, and suspension effective November 2. The airline attributes the decision to current economic conditions on the Jamaica-Fort Lauderdale market and the need to redeploy aircraft and crews. Passengers holding confirmed reservations on affected dates will receive full refunds, including tickets purchased through third parties after the airline gathers required details. The pause arrives roughly six months after the MBJ route resumed daily service, underscoring the volatility of South Florida leisure-VFR demand and rising competition for Jamaica traffic across neighboring Miami.

New Air Caraïbes codeshare adds Europe access via Paris Orly

Caribbean Airlines and Air Caraïbes launched a reciprocal codeshare in September 2025 that connects Paris Orly to the wider English-speaking Caribbean via FDF and PTP. Under the partnership, travelers can book single-itinerary tickets, receive all boarding passes at first check-in, and have baggage checked through to the final destination. Caribbean Airlines customers gain one-stop access to ORY on Air Caraïbes long-haul aircraft, while Air Caraïbes customers can connect deeper into the Southern Caribbean on Caribbean Airlines. The carriers describe the deal as a strategic step to enhance connectivity and schedule coordination for smoother connections in both directions.

Fort Lauderdale market shifts as competitors expand

The suspension lands amid broader reshuffling at Fort Lauderdale, where competitors have been adjusting capacity. JetBlue announced nine new routes from FLL in September, while Spirit is restructuring its network and trimming capacity following financial setbacks. That backdrop has intensified competition for Caribbean-bound leisure traffic and pressured yields on overlapping flows. With CAL's exit, travelers will likely consolidate on JetBlue, Spirit, and American, including Miami International Airport (MIA) options for Montego Bay and Kingston, and Fort Lauderdale alternatives on JetBlue and Spirit.

Analysis

For Caribbean Airlines, the Jamaica suspensions at Fort Lauderdale are a targeted retreat from a crowded South Florida battleground. VFR demand to Jamaica remains durable, but the Fort Lauderdale corridor has become increasingly price sensitive, especially with large competitors scaling schedules and running frequent sales. CAL's MBJ relaunch in March proved that demand existed, yet the six-month arc suggests yields and utilization did not meet internal benchmarks once competitive activity intensified and costs rose. Reallocating aircraft to stronger city pairs preserves on-time performance and protects unit economics, a priority for a midsize regional airline with finite resources.

The new Air Caraïbes codeshare partially offsets the headline with network breadth. One-ticket itineraries via FDF or PTP expand CAL's value proposition for premium leisure and VFR travelers who might otherwise stitch together separate bookings to reach Paris Orly. Operationally, coordinated schedules and through-checked baggage reduce friction, and the ORY hub fits well for Caribbean tourism as well as niche trade and diaspora flows tied to the French Antilles. While this does not replace lost Fort Lauderdale volume to Jamaica, it diversifies revenue, taps long-haul demand, and deepens partnerships without heavy capital outlay.

For travelers, the near-term play is substitution. Fort Lauderdale loyalists will look to JetBlue and Spirit for MBJ and KIN, and many will pivot to MIA on American for schedule depth. The codeshare adds a different kind of upside, a one-stop path to Europe that complements CAL's regional strengths.

Final Thoughts

Caribbean Airlines is pruning a tough Fort Lauderdale segment while leaning into partnerships for growth. Expect Jamaica demand from South Florida to funnel toward Miami, JetBlue, and Spirit, with price swings around holidays and winter peaks. If you hold a canceled ticket, process the refund promptly, then compare MIA schedules and FLL alternatives before rebooking. For Europe, the new Paris Orly pathway via Martinique or Guadeloupe is a practical, one-ticket option with through-checked bags. The trade-off is clear, fewer Fort Lauderdale nonstops to Jamaica, and more network reach via codeshare. Caribbean Airlines cuts Fort Lauderdale Jamaica flights.