HAVING started flying to Montego Bay from Panama last December, Copa Airlines is looking to increase its twice weekly service by year end, according to MBJ Airports Limited, the majority owner and operator of the Sangster International Airport.

The airport operator also disclosed, in its latest monthly statistical review, that the purchase of a US-based tour operator and the lease of Grand Lido Braco by Sunwing, will lead to new weekly service from Cincinnati, Ohio and Nashiville, Tennessee in the US.

MBJ, which is focused on developing flights from the mid-west and western United States to the Montego Bay airport, said it was able to meet with new and existing airlines at the Routes Americas Conference 2012, which was held in Nassau, Bahamas February 19-21, 2012.

Sangster International saw a marginal increase in the number of passengers arriving and departing last year — 3.33 million persons in 2011 compared to 3.28 million in 2010.

For the first two months, of 2012 passenger count was flat when compared to the corresponding period last year.

MBJ said that January numbers were soft due to the good weather conditions being experienced in its key markets and capacity cuts by Caribbean Airlines and Thomas Cook.