U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS WELCOMES INCREASED SUMMER AIRLIFT
Diving trips are popular with guests staying at the Hotel Caravelle in St. Croix Photo Credit Hotel Caravelle
U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte announced American Airlines will expand its service to the Territory to meet increased demand for summertime travel. Beginning on June 3, 2021, passengers in Dallas or connecting from Western and Midwestern cities will have 2 daily flights from which to choose when traveling to St. Thomas, while Charlotte, North Carolina-based travelers will benefit from 3 flights per day, up from twice a day.
The airline will also increase daily flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas. Up to 4 daily departures will be available in April and May from the key south Florida airport before the schedule is adjusted to three daily flights in June, July, and August.
Daily service to St. Thomas from the New York tri-state area, out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which continues to be an exceptionally strong market for the Territory, as well as from Philadelphia to St. Thomas will meet the travel needs of visitors and members of the large U.S. Virgin Islands diaspora who reside in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the country.
“The Department of Tourism is extremely pleased by the increase of summer airlift into the Territory,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte, who expressed confidence that demand for experiences in the USVI will continue to grow as mainland-based travelers, including the increasing number of those who have been vaccinated, regain confidence in travel.
American will serve St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) from Miami with at least two daily flights, and summer travelers from Charlotte will continue to enjoy daily flights to the “Big Island”. Overall, St. Croix has experienced an increase of 19 percent in weekly seats year-over-year from 2020 to 2021. “We are grateful to our partners at American Airlines for supporting our lifeblood industry by enhancing service to our islands with these additional flights, as they represent critical opportunities to help stimulate the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Commissioner Boschulte, who addressed meeting planners, travel agents and media representatives at a travel industry luncheon in Dallas on Friday.
This summer the Territory also will welcome new flights (four days a week) from the New York tri-state area when JetBlue Airways begins service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and St. Thomas. The new service is a result of a new codeshare Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which will see JetBlue add more than a dozen new markets in greater New York City.
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Instagram (@visitusvi) and Twitter (@usvitourism), and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel – including on-line check-in – making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.
