Wehner Raises – Opposition Senator Jonathan Wehner is urging the government to lessen the impact of JetBlue’s planned withdrawal from the Antigua market.
Wehner Raises Concerns Over
Wehner said on Observer Radio, that the airline’s decision to discontinue its direct New York-Antigua service could make travel more expensive for members of the diaspora and other visitors.
“I must say it is also unfortunate… Recently JetBlue would have pulled out their direct flight from the United States of America to Antigua. So, this is again a situation where we have to really make sure as a people and even specifically the government that they’re doing all in their power to mitigate that circumstance to ensure that we fill that gap that would have been left by JetBlue,” Wehner said.
Wehner said JetBlue had offered a more affordable travel option, allowing travellers to have more money available once they arrived in Antigua.
“JetBlue was a more affordable airline where even members of the diaspora and tourists as well would use that more cost-effective option to fly home so they have more money to spend. They have greater spending power when they actually get on island because the travelling costs to and from Antigua was not as burdensome,” the United Progressive Party senator said.
He added that the government should work to replace the capacity that will be lost when JetBlue leaves the market.
JetBlue’s final scheduled flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and V.C. Bird International Airport are expected to operate on October 31, 2026, as the airline restructures its network. Passengers booked to travel after that date are expected to be contacted regarding alternative travel arrangements or refunds.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority said it will protect the destination’s air links to North America, after JetBlue’s announcement.
ABTA’s Director of Tourism for the USA, Dean Fenton, said the authority will keep working with JetBlue and other airline partners to strengthen air links to the destination.
Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez said the move is disappointing but not unique to Antigua and Barbuda, noting that airlines regularly adjust their networks based on shifting market conditions.
JetBlue has made similar cuts elsewhere in the Caribbean, including the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, as part of a wider effort to optimise its network.
