British Airways London – St. Kitts Flight
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
January 20, 2009 (CUOPM)
Over 100 passengers disembarked last Saturday when the weekly scheduled British Airways flight from London – Gatwick landed in St. Kitts.
Some 112 passengers came off the flight at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and 65 departed when the flight left for London via the V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua.
Sources told CUOPM that most of passengers were visitors for several hotels on both St. Kitts and Nevis.
One hundred passengers were on the inaugural flight on January 10th.
Owner and innkeeper of Ottley’s Plantation Inn, Marty Lowell said when he found out that the BA flight was going to operate, he was “blown away. It’s such good news for the island.”
Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Dr Denzil L. Douglas; Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Joseph Parry; Minister of State for Tourism, Sen. the Hon. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt have all welcomed the new service from London to St. Kitts.
“This is a historic moment. The withdrawal of XL flights was terrible news for Kittitians. The arrival of BA means so much to the thousands of people employed by the tourism sector,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry, said the establishment of a route from London to St. Kitts and Nevis is a major tourism boost for the Federation and is going to help to fill up hotel rooms on Nevis.
“The UK market has been stable but now has the opportunity for growth,” said Minister Skerritt.
British Airways Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland, Mr. Richard Tams, said he believed St Kitts and Nevis fitted the airline’s premium brand and predicted the route would grow in significance.