One is the beating heart of French Caribbean life, all the rhythms of the juque, Creole cuisine and the unmistakable soul of the island (and rum, of course). The other is the global capital of reggae, jerk and easy Jamaican cool. But until now, getting from one place to another meant connections, layovers, and the kind of multi-stop routing that could turn a short distance into a day-long ordeal.
That’s about to change.
Liat Air will launch its first direct route between Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, with flights starting July 14, Caribbean Journal has learned.
This is a brand new link to the local map. This is a link that will close the long-standing gap between the French Caribbean and Jamaica and give travelers a simple, single-flight option between two of the region’s most unique destinations.
The timing is no coincidence. The route begins just before Reggae Sumfest, the annual Montego Bay music festival that attracts fans from across the Caribbean and the world every July. For the people of Guadeloupe and the wider French Caribbean audience who have always had to work hard to reach Jamaica, the new service arrives at exactly the right moment to make the Sumfest pilgrimage a reality for the first time.
Here’s how it works: Flights from Pointe-à-Pitre to Montego Bay operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, departing at 3:35pm. The return route from Montego Bay to Pointe-à-Pitre operates on Wednesdays and Sundays and departs at 9am. Fares start at US$307 one way. This is a competitive price point compared to routes that previously required separate tickets to be collected across multiple airlines.
The new Jamaica connection is part of a much wider push by Antigua-based regional airline Liat Air, which has been steadily rebuilding its connectivity within the Caribbean over the past two years. Liat Air was relaunched in 2024 as the successor to the long-running LIAT, and has been aggressively adding routes, aircraft and destinations since rebranding in July 2025. This is largely supported by Nigeria’s Air Peace, which holds a majority stake in the airline.
The Montego Bay service is particularly part of the Guadeloupe expansion. Liat Air recently added direct flights between Antigua and Pointe-à-Pitre, bridging another awkward regional gap, and the airline is opening connections to the US and UK through its Antigua hub. The Jamaica Route extends this strategy westward, connecting the French Caribbean to one of the best-known destinations in the entire region.
For travelers, the appeal is simple. A long weekend connecting the beaches, rum and Creole markets of Guadeloupe with the music, mountains and north coast resorts of Jamaica can now be reached in either direction with just one flight. Montego Bay-based visitors can easily swap out jerk and reggae for butterfly-shaped island waterfalls, hiking, and famous French Caribbean food on their itineraries.
It also speaks to a larger moment for Caribbean aviation. Traveling within the region has long been one of the most challenging things to do in the Caribbean. Short distances translate into long, expensive, multiple-stop trips. The collapse of various regional airlines over the years has made matters worse. New direct routes like this one will address these frustrations and tie the islands closer together, making it easier for Caribbean travelers to explore their own backyard.
Direct flights between Guadeloupe and Montego Bay will begin on July 14, 2026, rotating twice weekly in each direction, with fares starting from US$307 each way. Whether chasing reggae rhythms in Jamaica or zouk and Creole flavors in Guadeloupe, the journey between the two has been anything but simple.
