As Caribbean Airlines continues to await approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate a scheduled service from its hub in Trinidad to the US Virgin Islands, Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte said the territory continues to support the company’s efforts to connect both islands.
In an interview with Loop News on the sidelines of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Caribbean Marketplace on May 23, Boschulte said having links with its island neighbours is important for the USVI government.
“We know they filed their paperwork with the FAA, they travelled to the USVI. We met with them a couple of months ago, so we continue to be hopeful that we can reach an arrangement and they can start flying in to the USVI. As a Caribbean person, you know how difficult it can be at times for us to move around the region,” he said.
“I just mentioned in a press conference we had, most of us probably had to fly to Miami or New York to fly back to the Caribbean. So it is not necessarily ideal in terms of time and probably pricing. So anytime we could get increased flights inter-regional, we will 100 per cent support.”
In April 2023, CAL, which is owned by the Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaican Governments, filed an application with the US Department of Transportation to operate services to Puerto Rico and St Thomas in the USVI.
Earlier this month, the airline announced a service from the Piarco International Airport to Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, with a stop in Barbados.
The service, which is expected to operate three times per week, will begin on July 14.
CAL will use its ATR 72-600 air, which has 68 Economy Class seats, to operate the route.