Virgin Atlantic drops Saint Lucia route, adds daily flights to Jamaica

Virgin Atlantic has announced the suspension of its seasonal route to Saint Lucia, and planning to boost operations to Jamaica. The UK carrier will increase its services from London Heathrow to Montego Bay from four weekly flights to daily, providing accessible and seamless travel options to all the passengers. 

Shedding light on the changes, the airline stated that it is a part of their wider strategy to streamline its Caribbean operations, focusing on destinations with stronger performance. As per reports, the airline will operate its final service to Saint Lucia in October 2025. 

As per reports unveiled by the airline, the Saint Lucia route which was previously suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, was restarted in December, 2021. However, the destination has reportedly struggled to deliver consistent returns, due to which the airline has undertaken the decision to suspend flights to Saint Lucia once again. 

With Virgin Atlantic’s exit, British Airways will remain the only carrier offering direct services between the UK and Saint Lucia. The exit of the airline is expected to have a huge impact on Saint Lucia Tourism, prompting concerns about limited seat capacities. 

Services to Jamaica to enhance connectivity: Virgin Atlantic 

The Virgin Atlantic has announced to start its services to Jamaica, describing it as a part of their broader adjustments to Virgin Atlantic Caribbean route. Services effective from 3rd January, 2026 will be operated by the aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. 

The updated VS165/VS166 rotation features alternating departure times out of Heathrow and evening returns from MBJ, catering to high seasonal demand. The increased services from Virgin Atlantic came after Jamaica’s exceptional growth in the arrival of visitors from across the world. Shedding light on the services to Jamaica, the authorities of Virgin Atlantic noted that it will offer greater commercial scale and also improved the infrastructure support.

They said that their decision to focus on Montego Bay and Cancun reflects their strategic shift. The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism also emphasised on the services and noted that it will play a significant role in strengthening their connections and boosting the tourism sector of the island. 

The Tourism Ministry of Jamaica described these expanded services as a significant milestone for the tourism sector. They noted that these services would not just attract tourists but will also play a massive role in strengthening relations between the UK and Jamaica.