NEW YORK -- With $650 million being pumped into the tourism
infrastructure on Grand Bahama Island alone, several airlines are
answering the call for the anticipated needed airlift this winter
season.
Expecting that increased demand for flights will follow
increased supply, airlines launching service to Freeport, Grand
Bahama Island, include American Eagle, with daily service from
Miami on Nov. 1 and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Dec. 2, and AirTran
Airways, with daily service out of Atlanta beginning Dec. 12.
TWA launched daily service from New York's La Guardia Airport in
September.
Grand Bahama Island is not the only island in the Bahamas to
experience an increased demand for air service.
The Nassau/Paradise Island/Cable Beach area happens to be
upgrading several of its high-occupancy hotels. This might spur the
demand for more air service there, as well.
New or expanded service into Nassau includes seasonal weekend
flights beginning on Jan. 31 from Boston via Delta Air Lines.
A second flight per day (Wednesdays through Mondays) will start
on Feb. 1 from Newark via Nassau Paradise Island Express, operating
on a code-sharing arrangement with Continental Airlines.
In addition to service into Freeport, Exuma and Cat Island in
the Bahamas, Lynx Air started service from Fort Lauderdale to
Abaco, Bahamas, three times per week on Oct. 15. Also on Oct. 15,
Lynx Air reinstated service from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Turk,
Turks and Caicos.
The carrier added continuing service to Santiago, Dominican
Republic, on the same day. Turks and Caicos received some
additional airlift with
Air Jamaica Express' nonstop flights between Montego Bay,
Jamaica, and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.
Service will begin Nov. 11 with five weekly flights.