VI CONSORTIUM
Following a meeting with American Airlines in Dallas, Texas on Friday, V.I. Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte announced that the nation’s largest carrier will expand its service to the territory to meet increased demand for summertime travel, D.O.T. has announced.
According to the department, beginning on June 3, 2021, passengers in Dallas or connecting from Western and Midwestern cities will have not one but two daily flights from which to choose when traveling to St. Thomas, while Charlotte, North Carolina-based travelers will benefit from three flights per day, up from twice a day.
The airline will also increase daily flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas. Up to four daily departures will be available in April and May from the key south Florida airport before the schedule is adjusted to three daily flights in June, July and August, D.O.T. said.
Daily service to St. Thomas from the New York tri-state area, out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which continues to be an exceptionally strong market for the territory, as well as from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, will meet the travel needs of visitors and members of the large U.S. Virgin Islands diaspora who reside in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the country.
“The Department of Tourism is extremely pleased by the increase of summer airlift into the Territory,” said Mr. Boschulte, who expressed confidence that demand for experiences in the USVI will continue to grow as mainland-based travelers, including the increasing number of those who have been vaccinated, regain confidence in travel.
American will serve St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) from Miami with at least two daily flights, and summer travelers from Charlotte will continue to enjoy daily flights to the “Big Island”. Overall, St. Croix has experienced an increase of 19 percent in weekly seats year-over-year from 2020 to 2021, according to D.O.T.
“We are grateful to our partners at American Airlines for supporting our lifeblood industry by enhancing service to our islands with these additional flights, as they represent critical opportunities to help stimulate the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Mr. Boschulte. He also addressed meeting planners, travel agents and media representatives at a travel industry luncheon in Dallas on Friday.
This summer, the territory also will welcome new flights (four days a week) from the New York tri-state area when JetBlue Airways begins service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and St. Thomas. The new service is a result of a new codeshare Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which will see JetBlue add more than a dozen new markets in greater New York.