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May 11, 2007
NEW YORK, USA: As an exotic Caribbean getaway becomes more attractive with
off-season reduced rates throughout the region, major US carriers and regional
airlines have taken notice and added new flights and frequencies to make visiting
the region easier for summer travelers.
"The increase in flights by the major air carriers recognizes the growing demand by
consumers for a Caribbean vacation in the summer months when families and savvy
travelers head to our shores," said Hugh Riley, director of marketing for the
Americas of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
New and recently launched services to the Caribbean and throughout the Caribbean
include the following:
New Services
American Airlines will offer new service from New York's JFK International to St.
Kitts beginning Nov. 18, 2007. This will be the first from the NY region to St.
Kitts. Flights will operate twice weekly (Wednesdays and Sundays).
Cayman Airways will operate three weekly flights between the Cayman Islands and New
York's JFK International starting June 24, 2007. The flights leave Grand Cayman on
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and depart New York on Thursday, Sunday and Monday.
Delta Air Lines will launch service from Atlanta, GA to Tobago in December 2007.
Funjet will offer weekly Sunday charter service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
from St. Louis, MO between May 20, 2007 and August 2007.
JetBlue will launch service to the Dominican Republic with two daily flights from
New York (JFK International) to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and nonstop
service between Orlando, FL and Ponce, Puerto Rico on May 24, 2007.
On June 30, 2007, the carrier will launch nonstop service from Boston, MA to Aruba
every Saturday.
JetBlue offers new nonstop service between Boston, MA and Bermuda now through
October 31, 2007.
Recently Launched Services
Air Jamaica, on Jan. 10, 2007, launched daily service from JFK International (NY) to
Barbados with continuing service to St Lucia, Hewanorra International Airport four
times per week (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) and Grenada three days per
week (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday). This new schedule also offers daily direct
service to Montego Bay, Jamaica via St. Lucia or Grenada. Air Jamaica also
introduced Sunday flights between Montego Bay, Jamaica and Curacao on March, 11,
2007.
Air Montserrat began service in late 2006, running daily flights between Montserrat
and Antigua.
American Eagle increased its service to Anguilla by adding two daily flights
departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Dec. 14, 2006.
On Feb. 1, 2007, the carrier started daily service from San Juan, Puerto Rico to
Martinique.
Canjet, since Dec. 25, 2006, flies from Toronto to Montego Bay, Jamaica two times
per week.
Continental Airlines, on Dec. 16, 2006, added a second weekly non-stop flight from
New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport to Bonaire.
Delta Air Lines, introduced a new non-stop weekly flight from New York's JFK
International to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands on March 3, 2007.
On Jan. 1, 2007, the carrier increased service from Atlanta, GA to Montego Bay,
Jamaica for a total of two daily flights.
On Dec. 16, 2006, Delta began offering non-stop service from Atlanta, GA to
Martinique every Saturday.
On Dec. 15, 2006, the airline added a daily non-stop flight from Atlanta, GA to
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
On Dec. 9, 2006, Delta Air Lines added a daily non-stop flight from Atlanta, GA to
Santiago, Dominican Republic, introduced a daily non-stop and one-stop flight from
New York (JFK International Airport) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (with the
one-stop in Atlanta, GA), and launched new non-stop service from Atlanta, GA to Port
of Spain, Trinidad.
Northwest Airlines added a new non-stop flight from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to
Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands on Jan. 6, 2007.
Ryan International Airlines, on Jan. 2, 2007, increased service from St. Louis, MO
to Montego Bay, Jamaica to three flights per week. Travelers must book through
Funjet Vacations or Worry-Free Vacations.
Sky Service launched one flight per week from Vancouver and one flight per week from
Winnipeg to Montego Bay, Jamaica on Dec. 24, 2006.
Spirit Airlines launched new nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale, FL to
Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Mar. 22, 2007. The flights initially ran three times weekly
and increased to daily service on May 1, 2007.
Spirit Airlines also launched nonstop service five days a week (Monday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on
April 12, 2007. Spirit Airlines now offers year round, direct flights to St.
Maarten/St. Martin three times per week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) from its Fort
Lauderdale.
Spirit Airlines is providing seasonal non-stop service from Atlantic City, NJ to San
Juan, Puerto Rico (Thursdays through Sundays) until Aug. 12, 2007. The carrier will
also offer service from Tampa, FL to San Juan, Puerto Rico four days per week
(Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays) until June 13, 2007 and five days per week
(Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays) until Aug. 12, 2007.
As of Dec. 1, 2006, Spirit airlines increased its flights to Punta Cana from one to
four routes per day.
Tradewind Aviation launched daily service between San Juan, Puerto Rico and St.
Barts on Nov. 1, 2006.
Airline Mergers
Caribbean Airlines, as of Jan. 1, 2007, replaced BWIA West Indies Airways, which
served the Caribbean for 66 years. This change marks a new era in Caribbean
aviation.
Caribbean Airlines offers travelers a world-class, financially strong carrier
dedicated to bringing quality and efficiency. The first Caribbean Airlines flight
took off on Jan. 1, 2007. Destinations served include New York, Miami, Florida,
Toronto, London, Trinidad, Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname
and St. Maarten.
Caribbean Star Airlines & LIAT have made progress towards a merger. As of Feb. 1,
2007 Caribbean Star and LIAT entered into a commercial agreement combining the
flight operations of both carriers. As a provision of the commercial agreement, the
flights of both airlines are now marketed as LIAT and identified by the LI airline
designator, although some planes continue to be branded as Caribbean Star aircraft.
Also, service to all 22 gateways previously served by the combined force of both
carriers has been maintained, while two routes previously operated by the now
defunct Caribbean Sun Airlines (San Juan-Dominica and San Juan-St. Vincent) are now
being operated by LIAT/Caribbean Star under the new commercial agreement.
Both LIAT and Caribbean Star will continue to operate as separate carriers under
separate management until the proposed merger of the airlines is implemented.
As a reminder, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all those
traveling by air to the Caribbean to have a passport.
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