PANAMA: Copa Airlines Restarts Flights To St. Maarten

Copa Airlines will resumed its twice-weekly operations June 2, 2018 to and from St. Maarten, which were suspended following Hurricane Irma back in 2017. Tthe company it’s compromised to add more frequencies during peak travel season.

Likewise, flight CM134 between Panama’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) will take off at 7:24 a.m., to land at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, return flight CM133 will leave SXM at 12:29 p.m. to arrive in PTY at 2:46 p.m. local time.

With Copa Airlines resuming operations we will promote the island’s economic, commercial and touristic growth, shared Christophe Didier, Copa Airline’s Sales Vice President.

Since the airline started flying to St. Maarten eight years ago, it has become one of our passengers all time favorite Caribbean destinations, according to Didier.

According to Copa Airlines, St. Maarten’s resume of operations restates its commitment with the Caribbean’s economic, commercial and touristic growth, which is a region that received support from the carrier after Hurricane Irma’s impact with resources such as food, equipment, medicines, among others.

Therefore, the Panama flag carrier, along with tourism authorities from St. Maarten, Saint Martin, and Anguilla, will increase the number of travelers offering flights to these islands which are also connected to over 60 destinations in South America, Central America, and North America.

Rolando Brison, St. Maarten’s Director of Tourism Office, established, For many years, Copa Airlines has been literally a bridge connecting us to Central and South America.

We expect that Copa Airlines will carry thousands of passengers to St. Maarten, one of the most beautiful and unique destinations in the Caribbean.

Copa Airlines has agreements and codeshares with other international carriers, such as Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM, allowing its customers to reach over 1,300 airports in 191 countries, with more than 18,400 daily flights.

Currently, the airline offers service to more than 70 destinations in 31 countries, in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean with 89 aircraft: 77 Boeing 737 Next-Generation and 12 Embraer-190.


Tourism Observer

PUERTO RICO: Seaborne And JetBlue Become Codeshare Partners Across The Caribbean

Seaborne Airlines and JetBlue Airways, the largest carrier in San Juan, have finalized terms to begin a codeshare marketing relationship, expanding upon the carriers’ successful interline agreement in place since 2013. The codeshare will help facilitate improved connectivity between two of the top airlines in the Caribbean, subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with JetBlue. Providing improved connectivity in our common hub of San Juan will add tremendous value to Caribbean residents, visitors, and businesses,” said President and CEO of Seaborne Airlines Gary Foss. “We are honored that JetBlue, known for outstanding customer service, would recognize the same that Seaborne employees are providing throughout the Caribbean”, Foss said.

Seaborne, the largest regional operator, and JetBlue, the number one carrier by flights and seats at San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, offer a combined 50 daily flights that connect 22 destinations. Seaborne will expand the JetBlue network to multiple new destinations, including Anguilla, Dominica, Guadalupe, Martinique, Nevis, St. Kitts, and Tortola. In addition, the Seaborne Airlines network will also provide JetBlue customers’ access to an expanded presence throughout the United States Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.

“Our codeshare agreement with Seaborne makes traveling to the Caribbean easier than ever, and that’s the way a beach vacation or family visit should feel,” said Scott Laurence, senior vice president airline planning, JetBlue. “Between JetBlue’s leading position as San Juan’s largest and most customer friendly airline, and Seaborne’s extended local reach, this is a win-win partnership for customers and tourism.”

“The Puerto Rico Tourism Company welcomes this new partnership that supports and strengthens our efforts to increase air access to the Island. This new codeshare marketing relationship between Jet Blue and Seaborne facilitates the entrance of more visitors and positively impacts the economic development in the Island”, said Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Along with JetBlue, Seaborne operates as a codeshare partner of American Airlines and Air Europa of Spain. Seaborne offers interline connecting agreements with Delta Airlines and United Airlines as well. In aggregate, Seaborne and the carrier’s partners offer non-stop service to 32 destinations in the Americas and Europe from San Juan. Seaborne’s expanding network out of San Juan has helped solidify San Juan’s position as the Caribbean’s largest hub.

About Seaborne Airlines

Seaborne Airlines has been operating in the Caribbean for over 23 years, carrying more than 2.5 million customers safely. With over 1,500 monthly departures to 16 airports, Seaborne serves San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, St. Thomas airport and Seaplane base, St. Croix airport and Seaplane base, Anguilla, Tortola, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, St. Kitts, Nevis, La Romana, Punta Cana, and Santo Domingo. All flights operate with two pilots and two engines under Federal Air Regulation Part 121, the strictest code of the US Federal Air Regulation governing air travel.

About JetBlue

JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline™, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 32 million customers a year to 88 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 875 daily flights. For more information please visit JetBlue.com.

CARIBBEAN: CTO To Honour Two Airlines Serving The Caribbean

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will honour Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines for their decades of service to the Caribbean.

The CTO will present awards to the two airlines during Caribbean Week Canada for longstanding service from that market. Both airlines have demonstrated commitment and dedication to the growth and development of Caribbean tourism by providing up to six decades of service, according to the CTO’s director of USA Inc Sylma Brown.

“Caribbean Airlines has demonstrated continued dedication to the growth and development of Caribbean tourism by providing more than five decades of intra-regional and international service, while Air Canada has shown its commitment to the region’s tourism sector by providing over six decades of outstanding uninterrupted service to the Caribbean,” said Ms. Brown, head of the CTO’s New York office which is charged with organizing Caribbean Week Canada.

The decision to recognize the two carriers was made following discussions with CTO member countries’ national tourist office representatives in Canada who felt strongly that both airline partners should be among the entities recognized during Caribbean Week for their strong partnership , Ms. Brown revealed.

The awards will be presented at the Caribbean Tourism Awards Luncheon on Tuesday 17 November at Rosewater in Toronto.

Caribbean Week Canada is supported by Air Canada Vacations, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Caribbean Airlines, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Hibiscus International, Jamaica, Kalinago Beach Resort (Grenada), Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, The Atrebor Group, Transat Tours Canada, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos.