An American Eagle Flight at Nevis Airport
Photo Courtesy of Nevis1.com
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
February 03, 2011 (CUOPM)
American Eagle Flights To Nevis will not only maintain its daily service from the Luis Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but will add two weekend flights including two late evening arrival and early morning departures. Nevis also gains three flights per week, up from zero flights, but down from fourteen.
The St. Kitts & Nevis Ministry of Tourism & International Transport announced a new and more extensive schedule for American Eagle service to St. Kitts and Nevis following meetings between Senator the Hon. Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism and International Transport for St. Kitts and Nevis and Pedro Fabregas, President and CEO of American Eagle for Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
“The April 2011 schedule will feature daily service between San Juan and St. Kitts and add a Friday/Saturday, Saturday/Sunday late evening incoming and early morning outgoing service, the timing of which will facilitate important connections at San Juan, as well as a weekly Saturday day trip service to Puerto Rico from St. Kitts. Nevis will get three non-stop flights per week from San Juan,” said the statement.
“I am particularly gratified by the outcome of our meetings, which has increased the existing American Eagle service to our twin-island destination and also provides new same-day weekend connections from St. Kitts to Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago with comfortable connections to American Airlines and other important carriers,” commented Senator Skerritt. “At a time when economic factors have forced American Eagle to roll back its presence in our region, I am very grateful for the positive consideration given to my requests by President Pedro Fabregas, who truly understands the importance of travel and tourism to the Eastern Caribbean.”
Schedules for the April 5, 2011 service start-up will be available from this Sunday, February 6, when they are entered into Sabre.
“I have to commend Minister Skerritt on the determination and intensity he brings to the negotiating table,” said Mr. Fabregas. “When we first sat down, the new April schedule consisted of only four flights to St. Kitts, with service to Nevis not even on the table. We finished with daily flights to St. Kitts, three times weekly non-stop flights to Nevis and additional weekend service to St. Kitts. We are doing all we can to facilitate our Nevis customers, but we have had to be pragmatic and use St. Kitts as the main airport for both islands. We have now what I consider a win-win agreement for both the airline and St. Kitts and Nevis,” he concluded.
Like all businesses, American Eagle must allocate its resources where it makes the most economic sense. Recent cut backs in capacity in San Juan greatly affects smaller destinations like St. Kitts & Nevis that are at risk for service reductions or loss of service.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport has attracted direct international flights from the United States and the United Kingdom. American Airlines operates a daily flight between St. Kitts and Miami and on Wednesdays and Sundays from New York’s JFK International; Delta has a direct flight from Atlanta on Sundays and US Airways from Charlotte, North Carolina. British Airways flies two flights – Saturday and Tuesday from London’s Gatwick Airport.