Ultra low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is scrapping its nonstop service to Jamaica from Bradley International Airport just six months after it launched the route with much fanfare.
The airline Monday said it will end its nonstop flight to Montego Bay as of June 6.
“We put forward our best effort to establish this unique connection between Connecticut and Jamaica,” Spirit spokesman Michael Lopardi said, in a statement. “Unfortunately, we made the difficult decision to discontinue this particular route because of lower-than-expected demand.”
Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which oversees Bradley’s operations, said the authority is now in active discussions with other airlines to restart the nonstop service to Jamaica.
“We are certainly disappointed,” Dillon said, of the Spirit cancellation. “I really don’t believe they gave it enough time for that market to develop. When they made the decision to discontinue it, they had only provided the service for approximately four months.”
Typically, Dillon said, it takes at least a year for routes to develop.
Dillon said Spirit will not take any of state incentives offered when the airline agreed to provide the Jamaica route.
The state agreed to provide $2 million in incentives over the first two years after the launch. Under the deal, the state would provide up to $1 million a year to Spirit, if the airline does not meet revenue goals for the flight out of Bradley.
Spirit’s launch of a nonstop flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica had capped a 15-year grassroots push for the service by the Hartford area’s Caribbean community, the fifth largest in the country.
The flight was not only seen as providing service to residents who might be flying to visit relatives on the island, but also foster tourism and trade between Connecticut and Jamaica.
State Rep. Bobby Gibson, a Democrat, helped lead the push for the flight along with Caribbean Trade Council founder Andrew Lawrence. Gibson, vice chairman of the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, said there was support from Gov. Ned Lamont and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter.
“We worked so hard to make this happen and when I found out about it, so disappointed, extremely, extremely disappointed,” Gibson said.
Gibson citied statistics showing that 151 passengers fly back and forth between Connecticut and Jamaica daily, but they have been forced to use indirect flights.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for the right airline to come in,” Gibson said. “Spirit didn’t want to take advantage of that, it seems.”
Gibson said Spirit also didn’t take advantage of the state incentives “which makes you wonder if they were committed to this venture.”
Lopardi said passenger refunds have been provided to passengers whose flights are canceled.
The cancellation of the flight is not related to Spirit’s pending merger with JetBlue, Lopardi said Tuesday.
Spirit is being bought by JetBlue in a $3.8 billion deal announced last year. The acquisition is facing opposition from federal regulators concerned the combination would create a monopoly among low-cost carriers. JetBlue argues the deal would provide stiffer competition for the larger airlines.
Spirit will continue to offer daily, nonstop service from Bradley to Myrtle Beach and Orlando. this summer. In addition, Spirit will launch nonstop service between Bradley and San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning in June, Lopardi said.
This story was updated Tuesday, May 23 at 12:30 p.m. to include a comment from Spirit on its merger with JetBlue.
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
