The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

American Airlines has cancelled 12 flights to The Bahamas over the past 30 days, it confirmed yesterday, but cannot provide details on the number of passengers affected.

Responding to the move, Fredrick Lounsberry, president of the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board, said: “This is something that the airlines have been doing over the last several months, and that is they have been adjusting to demand. Obviously we want flights coming in but, with low room availability, there are limited beds available at this time until the major hotels reopen.”

He added that the major US commercial airlines have not been adjusting their flight plans regularly, and had largely gone with last year’s schedule. However, with 2019 a record year for air and tourist arrivals as opposed to the near complete absence of visitors amid COVID-19, they are now ringing the changes. Mr Lounsberry added: “It would be good to know where those flights originated from.”

A hotel executive, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that: “We have to stop the negative news about the COVID-19. I heard that 40,000 visitors cancelled their trip to the country during the last month. This is not good; they are afraid of COVID-19.”

American Airlines refused to say how many passengers were booked on those 12 flights, and nor did they confirm where they were originating from in the US.

A Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said airlines work within the OAG (Official Aviation Guide of the Airways) schedule. Confirming that flights were scheduled sometimes a full 12 months in advance, and ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said cancellations now due to low travel demand were not out of the ordinary.

Mr Lounsberry, though, said Jet Blue will be doing daily flights from Fort Lauderdale instead of their normal four flights a week, adding: “The Bahamas is in high demand. This is one of their favourite stops.”