American Airlines will retain its daily nonstop flights from both Los Angeles and Baltimore to San Juan, according to the Puerto Rico Port Authority and the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.
It had been feared that those flights would be part of American's cutbacks in Caribbean service that are scheduled to take effect Sept. 3.
American offers a daily nonstop from Los Angeles to San Juan as well as a daily flight between Baltimore and San Juan. Those schedules will be maintained, according to Fernando Bonilla, secretary of state and executive director of the Puerto Rico Port Authority.
"Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila asked us to seek out alternatives that will help the island brave the crisis faced by the airline industry today and these are the results of this effort," Bonilla said.
"We've been able to preserve American's service from Los Angeles and Baltimore to Puerto Rico. This is a resounding victory for the island."
Another proactive measure designed to help safeguard air access to Puerto Rico is the Port Authority's one-year extension of its earlier decision to suspend tariff increases at Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan.
An incentive program is in the works to lower tariffs by offering the airlines discounts of between 15% and 45% on rent, landing fees and passenger fees if airlines can increase passenger traffic in the traditionally slower months of September, October and February.
Puerto Rico early on took the initiative in launching a series of meetings with the airline industry to integrate its air partners with the destination's efforts to promote travel to the Caribbean and to stimulate greater demand for air access to the region's major markets.
"At this time we have established an agreement with American to support and promote its service to the island, an effort that will surely strengthen our ties with the airline and result in substantial benefits for the tourism industry," said Terestella Gonzalez Denton, executive director of the PRTC.