Three Airlines Are Expanding Service To St. Thomas

ST. THOMAS — Three scheduled carriers will soon increase air service to St. Thomas, the Department of Tourism (D.O.T.) announced Monday.

Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty announced that following meetings with airline partners over the past few months, Spirit Airlines will increase its Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas frequency to daily, effective Saturday, March 10, 2018.

Due to strong bookings on the Atlanta-St. Thomas route, Delta Air Lines will reinstate its daily service from New York to St. Thomas, effective May 24, Mrs. Nicholson-Doty said.

As recently announced, JetBlue Airways will operate a second daily flight from to San Juan to St. Thomas from February 15. The airline will provide daily options for travelers between Boston and St. Thomas (between February 15 to May 1) over San Juan.

“We are very encouraged by these new developments,” said Mrs. Nicholson-Doty, who explained that while hotels and resorts rebuild and prepare to welcome stayover visitors back to the territory, a strong demand for air seats is being generated by guests staying at inns, bed and breakfasts and boutique hotels; villas, apartments, condominiums and other rental properties; timeshares; and yachts, as well as professionals working in the construction industry, and Virgin Islanders traveling to and from the islands.

The commissioner assured that efforts are continuing to increase airlift to both airports, on St. Croix and St. Thomas.

According to the release, Governor Mapp thanked the respective airline partners for their commitment to the territory, and explained that his administration was making every effort to ensure there was adequate air access between the territory’s airports and the U.S. mainland. “It’s really encouraging to see the continued demand in the marketplace for the U.S. Virgin Islands, as we continue making strides in our recovery from September’s back-to-back hurricane,” Mr. Mapp said. “The resilience of our people and our Territory is undeniable, and we’re grateful to our airline partners for making their continued contributions to our recovery.”

With the latest flight additions, the U.S. Virgin Islands is now being served by approximately 13,000 seats each week — 9,000 to St. Thomas and 4,000 to St. Croix (not including intra-island service), according to the D.O.T. release.