The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT - New non-stop jet services from eight US cities will officially start today to Grand Bahama, with the arrival of the first flight from Baltimore, Maryland.

The flight is expected to touch down around 1.45pm at the Grand Bahama International Airport, where tourism officials will greet and welcome passengers.

The second flight will arrive in Freeport from Newark on Friday. The other six flights from Richmond, VA, Birmingham, AL, Cincinnati, OH, Columbus, OH, Memphis, TN, and Raleigh/Durham, NC, will follow.

Brooke Sherman, MOT, Freeport, said the weekly 737-400 jet service is being introduced by Vacation Express and Bahamasair, in partnership with the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Sector for summer 2014. She said the programme runs from May 1 – October 31.

“This summer’s programme will fuel the economic engine of Grand Bahama once more, welcoming the return of major gateways in the New York tri-state and Washington, DC, areas with flights from Newark, NJ, Baltimore, MD and Richmond, VA,” Sherman said.

She said guests will be staying a week at the four-star all-inclusive Memories Grand Bahama Beach Resort.

The other flights are as scheduled from: Birmingham, AL, May 3-August 6; Richmond, VA, May 4-August 7; Columbus, OH, May 5-August 8; Memphis, August 11-October 25; Raleigh/Durham, NC, August 12-October 26; and Cincinnati, OH, August 13-October 27.

According to Ms Sherman the introduction of the programme increases the average length of stay for Grand Bahama as well as an increase in visitor spending.

The new air service from the eight US cities will result in an additional 66,000 seats to Freeport. This combined with the 34,000 from Canada brings the total to 101,000 seats.

Ms Sherman said those total seats translates to a projected increase of 71,000 passengers, representing 460,450 visitor nights overall.

She reported that tourism earnings are expected to amount to $57 million in Grand Bahama.

Vacation Express, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, operates extensive air-inclusive programmes to popular resort destinations in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica from many US cities.

Vacation Express is part of family-owned and operated, Toronto-based Sunwing Travel Group Inc, Canada’s leading vertically integrated leisure travel company, and has sold well over two million vacation packages to its exotic destinations.

Meanwhile Southwest Airlines has announced it will launch its inaugural international services to Nassau, Montego Bay and Aruba from July 1. The three Caribbean destinations will be transferred from AirTran Airways’ schedule as Southwest Airlines continues integration after acquiring the cafrier in 2011.