NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Grand Bahama tourism stakeholders are welcoming the news of increased airlift to the islands this fall, with foreign air arrivals to the island over the first five months showing an eight percent year-over-year increase.
The Ministry of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation recently announced that Grand Bahama Island is poised to receive more airlift boosts this fall 2024. At the end of 2023, Grand Bahama experienced a 33 percent growth in foreign air arrivals—the largest year-over-year percentage growth compared to all the islands of The Bahamas. For the first five months of 2024, the island’s foreign airlift arrivals had already outperformed the same period in 2023 by some eight percent, putting the island on a trajectory to exceed pre-Dorian figures.
“Our priority to focus on increasing airlift into Grand Bahama is a sign of our commitment to this community and our product partners, as we continue to position the island to benefit from the significant investments in its project pipeline,” said Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
Starting at the end of August, travelers can expect a new inaugural service by Western Air between Fort Lauderdale and Freeport to support the growing demand for South Florida travel by residents and visitors.
From September 6 through October 3, 2024, Bahamasair is set to increase capacity on its Freeport to Fort Lauderdale route. This move ensures continued airlift into the island from the Florida market, following a decision by American Airlines to briefly suspend its Miami-Freeport service during that period due to the peak of the hurricane season.
American Airlines will return to Freeport after October 3 with daily service and will ramp up its Miami-Freeport offerings to twice daily in November, providing a significant boost to fall travel. Additionally, the airline will offer a Saturday service between Charlotte and Freeport.
Bahamasair is also launching a service between West Palm Beach and Freeport, beginning November 17, 2024, just in time for the high-demand Thanksgiving holiday travel. This addition supports the return of Bahamasair’s nonstop direct service to Orlando, launched on June 17 and continuing through September 3, 2024, with flights twice per week.
“We continue to explore new markets for Grand Bahama, as well as position the island for returned service from both local and legacy airlines,” added Deputy Prime Minister Cooper.
Just this June, the island welcomed the return of Sunwing Airlines’ nonstop service connecting passengers from Montreal, Canada, as well as Neos/Alpitour Airlines from Milan, Italy, and the popular return of Bahamasair’s Freeport to Orlando service.
Additionally, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation witnessed the signing of interline agreements between Bahamasair and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Alaska Airlines, designed to provide a seamless travel experience for visitors from the UK and the West Coast seeking to travel into Freeport through a connection in Nassau. This September, Bahamasair will also be signing an interline agreement with Turkish Airlines, offering more travel options to passengers opting to visit Grand Bahama.
“As Grand Bahama’s foreign airlift arrivals and seat capacity continue to see double-digit year-over-year increases, we will remain resolute in our effort to ‘put more heads in beds’ from new markets, as well as the currently serviced routes that include Charlotte, Durham, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Milan, Montreal, and Toronto,” said Deputy Prime Minister Cooper.
Magnus Alnebäck, the Pelican Bay General Manager, told Eyewitness News: “This is good news! Let’s hope that next year we will have the daily American Airlines flight year-round, without the five weeks ‘blackout’ that we will have this year. A daily service of a major US carrier that gives us seamless connections is important for the destination, especially for business travel.”
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