Caribbean and Central America Air Travel

Caribbean Aviation: Islands, Connections, and Seasonality

The Caribbean's aviation geography is defined by its archipelago structure—over 700 islands spread across 2.75 million square kilometers of ocean, served by a mix of major international airports, short-strip island aerodromes, and seaplane services. The region's primary international gateways are Miami International (MIA), New York JFK, and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) in North America, connecting to Caribbean hubs at San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International (SJU) in Puerto Rico, Punta Cana International (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic, Norman Manley International (KIN) in Kingston, Jamaica, Grantley Adams International (BGI) in Barbados, and V.C. Bird International (ANU) in Antigua.

American Airlines dominates Caribbean connectivity from Miami and JFK with the region's most comprehensive network, serving 30+ Caribbean destinations non-stop. American's partner JetBlue also provides extensive Caribbean coverage from New York and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL). Fort Lauderdale is often overlooked as a Caribbean gateway but has become increasingly significant—fares from FLL are frequently lower than from MIA, and the airport is compact and efficient by comparison with sprawling Miami International.

Caribbean Airlines, based in Port of Spain Trinidad (POS), operates the region's only inter-Caribbean full-service carrier network, connecting Trinidad and Tobago with Barbados (BGI), Jamaica (KIN), Guyana (GEO), Suriname (PBM), Antigua (ANU), St Lucia (UVF), and Grenada (GND). LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport), long the backbone of Eastern Caribbean inter-island connectivity, has faced repeated bankruptcy proceedings and reduced its network significantly. Intercaribbean Airways and SVG Air have partially filled gaps in the LIAT network with turboprop and piston aircraft services.

Central America's Airport Network

Central America—comprising Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama—is served by La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City, Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José Costa Rica, Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City, and smaller gateways in Belize City (BZE), Tegucigalpa (TGU), San Salvador (SAL), and Managua (MGA). Panama City's Tocumen Airport functions as the region's most important hub due to Copa Airlines' extensive network.

Copa Airlines, based at Tocumen and a Star Alliance member, operates the most comprehensive Central and South American network from any single hub, connecting 80+ destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean from Panama City. Copa's hub model mirrors the Gulf carrier strategy—Tocumen's geographic position allows efficient connections between North, Central, and South America. For travelers from the US heading to multiple Central American destinations, connecting through Panama often provides better frequencies and fares than routing through Miami.

Costa Rica has become Central America's most significant leisure aviation market, with direct international services to 30+ US cities from Juan Santamaría (SJO) and increasing services to the Liberia Guanacaste Airport (LIR) on the Pacific coast—a more convenient entry point for visitors to Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula who would otherwise face a 4-hour ground transfer from San José. United, Delta, American, Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit all operate direct Costa Rica services from multiple US gateways.

Hurricane Season: Planning Around Weather Risk

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity from mid-August through mid-October. The Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico are the primary impact zones. Major hurricanes—Category 3 and above—can cause airport closures, infrastructure damage, and mass flight cancellations affecting tens of thousands of passengers simultaneously. The 2017 hurricane season, which produced Irma and Maria, caused catastrophic damage to several Eastern Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico, St Maarten (SXM), and the British Virgin Islands, with airport closures lasting weeks to months.

Travel insurance with hurricane-related cancellation and trip interruption coverage is strongly recommended for any Caribbean travel from June through November. Standard travel insurance policies often exclude "named storm" events; purchase a policy that specifically includes hurricane coverage. The ideal Caribbean travel window for weather stability is mid-December through April—the dry season—when hurricane risk is minimal and trade winds provide pleasant temperatures across most islands.

When a hurricane threatens the Caribbean, airlines typically offer fee-free rebooking or refunds for affected routes. Monitor airline alerts closely—American, JetBlue, and United all issue travel waivers with specific rebooking windows when a named storm is forecast to affect a destination. Decide 3–4 days before your departure whether to proceed, evacuate early, or postpone—waiting until 24 hours before a hurricane landfall often results in overbooked rebooking options and stranded passengers.

Island-to-Island Connections and Small Aircraft Travel

Reaching smaller Caribbean islands—Saba (SAB), St Barths (SBH), Anguilla (AXA), Bequia (BQU), the Tobago Cays, and others—requires connecting from a regional hub onto small turboprop or piston aircraft. Winair operates the legendary approach to Saba's Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport—a 400-meter runway on a clifftop that is the world's shortest commercial runway. St Barths Gustaf III Airport (SBH) similarly demands specially rated pilots and small aircraft due to its 647-meter runway and challenging hill approach.

The Turks and Caicos (PLS), Cayman Islands (GCM), and Bermuda (BDA) have well-equipped airports handling direct services from major US gateways. Providenciales International (PLS) in Turks and Caicos receives direct flights from New York, Miami, Charlotte, Boston, Atlanta, and Canadian cities during winter season. Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), rebuilt and reopened in 2020, is a modern facility with US Customs Pre-Clearance, making it one of the more streamlined Caribbean entry experiences for American travelers.

Inter-island travel in the Lesser Antilles (the chain running from Puerto Rico to Trinidad) is served by Intercaribbean Airways, SVG Air, Seaborne Airlines, and Cape Air, all operating with booking systems that may be less polished than major carrier websites. Book these connections well in advance during peak winter season (December–April), as capacity on small aircraft fills quickly. Baggage allowances on smaller aircraft are typically 23 kg checked and 7 kg carry-on—much more restrictive than mainline carriers. Pack light and plan accordingly.