In a challenging turn for Belize’s $2 billion tourism sector, the country has been forced into urgent action to rebuild its air connectivity after losing two major low-cost carriers – Spirit Airlines and JetBlue – within a single six-month window. The departures have left a gaping capacity gap that threatens to curb visitor arrivals and undermine years of growth in the country’s largest economic driver, pushing tourism officials to accelerate negotiations with potential new airline partners.
In an interview published June 22, 2026, Belize’s Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler confirmed that his team is working at an accelerated pace to court both established and new carriers to fill the void left by the departing budget airlines. Early progress has already been made: Bermuda Air has committed to launching new scheduled routes into the country, which will add much-needed inbound capacity in the coming months. Mahler added that multiple other carriers have expressed formal interest in entering the Belize market within the next 12 to 18 months, and the ministry is conducting extensive outreach, due diligence, and offering targeted financial incentives to help new routes launch and remain sustainable long-term.
Notably, Mahler revealed that JetBlue – one of the two carriers that exited the market recently – has signaled it is open to returning to Belize once it completes its ongoing corporate restructuring process, a transition that many major global airlines have undergone in the post-pandemic landscape.
Despite these small wins, the industry faces a major structural barrier that has tourism operators deeply concerned: the country’s high airport departure fees, which eat into the already razor-thin profit margins that define low-cost and ultra-low-cost carrier business models. Industry analysts have long noted that departure fees are a make-or-break factor for budget airlines when evaluating new routes, as even a small fee increase can push a marginal route into unprofitability.
Mahler acknowledged that reducing departure fees would make Belize far more competitive in attracting budget carriers, noting that independent industry research consistently confirms that lower departure fees correlate directly with greater airline interest in new destinations. However, he confirmed that the tourism ministry holds no regulatory authority over setting departure fees, and no ongoing negotiations are underway to adjust the fee structure to a more competitive level. “That’s the reality, we can’t do anything about it,” Mahler stated in the interview.
To offset this challenge, Belize is leaning into its core natural and geographic advantages to attract carriers. The country holds a strategic position within easy flying distance of major North American tourist markets, the source of more than 70% of Belize’s annual visitors. It also offers a one-of-a-kind tourism product that combines dense rainforest inland adventures – including ancient Maya ruin exploration and wildlife spotting – with world-class Caribbean marine activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and beach getaways, a diverse offering that appeals to a wide range of traveler demographics.
The outcome of Belize’s push to rebuild its airlift network will have major ripple effects across the national economy, as tourism accounts for nearly 40% of Belize’s total GDP and employs more than one in four Belizean workers. Officials warn that sustained gaps in airlift could lead to lower hotel occupancy, reduced consumer spending across local businesses, and slower growth planned infrastructure upgrades designed to support long-term tourism expansion.