After a year of flying between St. Thomas and San Juan, not only will Cape Air extend service to St. Croix and Tortola but it will also kick in $10,000 to help market the territory.
Cape Air, the largest independent regional airline in the country, began service between St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico, last November. Starting on Nov. 4, the airline will begin daily service between St. Croix and San Juan every hour from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. There will also be five daily flights between St. Croix and St. Thomas.
At a press conference Monday with Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II and Acting Commissioner Michael Bornn, Cape Air’s president Dan Wolf also announced that the airline will begin flights to Tortola from St. Thomas and San Juan on Dec. 9. A St. Croix-Tortola flight may be added in the future, Wolf said.
"I think the opportunity here and the future here is very bright for us," Wolf said, adding that Cape Air’s fares will be equal to or slightly lower than American Eagle's.
In July, Gulfstream International Airlines announced that it too would offer round-trip flights between St. Croix and St. Thomas and San Juan, starting Nov. 1. Flights between St. Croix and St. Thomas will also be offered.
But while Wolf said the addition of the new carriers could reduce prices, his company won’t be trying to knock the mighty American Eagle out of the sky anytime soon.
"Don’t expect us to come in and start a fare war with American Airlines," he said. "If we did, don’t expect us to be here in a year."
Instead, Wolf said to expect Cape Air to offer better service with more frequent flights. Although the company uses small nine-seat aircraft, it has 15 planes and 29 pilots flying in the region and can add flights as demand requires.
"Our capacity to carry people isn’t limited to the size of the airplane," Wolf said. "The real reason we’ve been successful is the frequency and ability to add flights. You know you can go to the airport on the hour and go to San Juan."
And that success between St. Thomas and San Juan is what prompted the $10,000 contribution to the Department of Tourism. Bornn said that a specific use for the money hasn’t been identified, but said it could be used to bolster Cape Air’s presence at the airport in Puerto Rico, an international airport hub.
"My number-one priority is to drive consumer demand to the U.S. Virgin Islands through increased advertising and marketing," Bornn said. "Cape Air’s contribution will be another step toward that goal."
Cape Air also has full ticket and baggage "interline" agreements with several major airlines. That will enable prospective visitors to book flights from any airport to San Juan and then on to the V.I., Wolf said.
Bornn also said that while Cape Air’s service will help the tourism industry, it is also a benefit to commuters.
"If we cater to locals," he said, "the tourists will also benefit."
Wolf announced that Cape Air has hired St. Thomas resident Robert Siefert as the company’s new sales and marketing representative.
Along with the Caribbean, Cape Air serves Cape Cod, New Bedford, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Boston and Providence, R.I. The company also offer daily flights to Key West, Fla., from Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Naples, and has also expanded its service to the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Norfolk, Va.
