Europe’s biggest holiday company, Tui, is flying empty aircraft to the Caribbean in preparation for bringing home many hundreds of stranded holidaymakers from Jamaica.
Some Tui customers were due to fly back as early as last Saturday, but a string of flights from Montego Bay to the UK have been cancelled because of Hurricane Melissa.
In order to organise an airlift as quickly as possible once the airport reopens, Tui is flying two Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to a nearby Caribbean location – thought to be Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. This airport is 626 miles from Montego Bay – a flying time of under two hours, compared with around nine hours from the UK. The crew will be able to fly in, pick up passengers and depart for the UK.
One plane took off from Birmingham, the other from Manchester. Each can hold 300 or more passengers. The Independent calculates that Tui has around 1,300 customers in Jamaica who are waiting to fly home after their planned flights were cancelled.
Tui has now cancelled all package holidays to Jamaica up to and including Sunday 2 November.
A spokesperson for Tui said: “We’re working hard to assess the full impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the extent of damage to local infrastructure including resorts, roads and airports.
“We want to reassure our customers that their safety and wellbeing remains our absolute top priority.
“We understand this is an unsettling time and ask that customers currently in Jamaica continue to follow the advice of local authorities and their resort teams.”
A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic, which serves Montego Bay from London Heathrow, said: “Due to adverse weather conditions caused by Hurricane Melissa some of our Jamaica flights are subject to cancellations and delays.
“The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we are contacting any Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holiday customers who may be impacted by the hurricane to discuss their options.”
A leading travel industry figure, Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, has expressed hope that visitors will continue to travel to the region – and that tourism will be an essential component to help with the region’s recovery.
She said: “As Jamaica and Cuba recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, tourism will play a vital role in supporting local communities and rebuilding the economy.
“Travellers returning to the islands once it is safe to do so will help sustain jobs, small businesses, and the wider recovery efforts that are essential to restoring livelihoods and stability.”
While Jamaica receives thousands of British visitors every week, Cuba no longer has direct flights from the UK. Only a few British travellers are believed to be on the island. Havana airport remains open, with Hurricane Melissa affecting the east of the island.
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