Come May, direct flights to and from London's Gatwick Airport could bring 350 passengers into the territory every other week. It will also be available to take locals to London.
The first charter flight operated by Caledonian Airways is due to arrive in St. Thomas on May 6. The flight will go on to Antigua, then return to London.
Flights will operate biweekly through June.
The service will expand to weekly during July and August, and return to biweekly for September. If all goes well, the service will go back to weekly in October through the winter season, according to a release from the Virgin Islands' London tourism office.
Style Holidays, Caledonian's tour division, is developing hotel packages to sweeten the deal for travelers. They hope to expand service and packages to St. John and St. Croix.
Sunsail, which has been running a charter with Britannia Airways, will switch its operation to Caledonian.
Don MacIntyre, director of the London tourism office, said, "We have been working toward this opportunity for many years, and now that it's here, we will do all we can to make it successful, and to ensure that it is here to stay."
Caledonian Airways already services other Caribbean islands, including Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts, according to the release. The airline is one of the top charter companies in the United Kingdom.
The release gave no information on prices or times, but interested persons can call the Tourism Department in St. Thomas at 774-8784 or the London office at 0171-978-5262.
