HONG KONG—The Cayman Islands is building on a wave of new North American routes with a strategy to unlock long-haul connectivity from Latin America, Europe and even India in the coming years.
Cayman Islands director of tourism, Rosa Harris, says the planned extension of Owen Roberts International Airport’s runway will be central to that shift, enabling nonstop flights that are currently beyond reach.
“We are targeting destinations in Latin America, Europe and India,” Harris tells Routes. “The destination’s room stock is growing, and we know this will increase the demand for airlift, which we see as an opportunity to expand our connectivity.”
Two new hotels, the Grand Hyatt and ONE | GT, are set to open in 2026, adding more than 450 rooms. Harris adds that, combined with the Cayman Islands’ leadership in short-term vacation rentals, the additional supply will create new opportunities to attract air service.
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In the near term, the Cayman Islands is strengthening its North American network. United Airlines and American Airlines will expand Chicago O’Hare frequencies to Grand Cayman this winter, from weekend-only to as many as nine flights per week. Delta Air Lines will relaunch Detroit service and add New York John F. Kennedy flights, while American will reintroduce a third daily Miami rotation in October.
Spirit Airlines will make its market entry in December with 3X-weekly Fort Lauderdale flights, joined at the same time by JetBlue with its own Fort Lauderdale–Grand Cayman service. From Canada, Porter Airlines will launch weekly Ottawa flights and 3X-weekly Toronto service.
“We see an opportunity for growth in Canada as the politics in the U.S. impact travel,” she says. “But with shorter haul routes from the U.S., we also know there is still room for growth and are working on gaining new service and increasing the frequency of existing routes.”
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