Seiveright dismisses Opposition's claims on Emirates flight deal

Junior tourism minister Delano Seiveright has rejected claims by the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) that the administration misled the public about a new air service between Dubai and Jamaica.

Opposition spokesperson Janice Allen has accused Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett of giving the false impression that Dubai-based Emirates Airline would soon begin direct flights to Jamaica.

Allen, in a media release, claimed that Bartlett’s announcement of a codeshare arrangement between Emirates and German carrier Condor Flugdienst was “disingenuous” and called for an immediate correction. She argued that Condor was merely expanding its service to Jamaica and that the government’s framing of the deal misrepresented the reality of airlift arrangements.

However, Seiveright dismissed those assertions, pointing to an official application by Emirates, published by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority on March 26.

He said the document outlines a scheduled service between Dubai and Montego Bay via Frankfurt, starting April 10, 2025, and running through December 26, 2026.

“The Opposition is entitled to scrutiny, but it is unfortunate that recent assertions disregard the official public record and mislead the public on a matter of national significance,” Seiveright stated.

He clarified that Emirates is the named applicant for the service, which will operate weekly on Wednesdays using a Boeing 777-300. The Frankfurt–Montego Bay leg will be operated by Condor under a codeshare agreement, "a fact," that Seiveright said was “crystal clear” in all government-issued statements.

“At no time did we state that Emirates would fly nonstop to Jamaica. The record speaks for itself. This is a legitimate scheduled airlift application by Emirates, part of our broader strategy to expand global connectivity,” he asserted.

Seiveright also outlined several recent successes in Jamaica’s airlift strategy, citing a surge in flights from major markets.

“These are not hypotheticals. These are facts, flights, and figures—backed by applications, agreements, and passenger traffic,” Seiveright stated.

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