A full flight of 143 passengers touched down at Owen Roberts International Airport on Tuesday, marking the first direct Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando, Florida, to come to the Cayman Islands.
Grand Cayman joined half a dozen other tropical destinations added to Southwest’s roster Tuesday, as several inaugural, non-stop flights touched down across the Caribbean and Latin America. The airline said the day marked the launch of its “largest summer flight schedule ever”.
“Southwest is a major partner in respect to our tourism product, and we’re so happy to have them flying directly to the Cayman Islands,” he said. “We know a large number of people come through Orlando, so they’ll be able to be more fluid with bringing passengers.”
While tourism is a major focus of the flights, Bryan said it is important to remember the importance of ensuring easy travel access for Caymanian residents travelling for work and pleasure.
Historic departures
Southwest Airlines announced in October that it was expanding its international services. That expansion included daily seasonal flights from Orlando to six major cities: Cancun in Mexico, Nassau in the Bahamas, Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and San José in Costa Rica.
“This expansion kicks off the summer travel season for Southwest, ringing in new growth and increased demand as the largest carrier at [Orlando International Airport],” the airline said Tuesday in a press release.
The airline also planned to add new flights within the United States and to existing destinations in Aruba and Jamaica.
Changing tides
This new route comes shortly after direct Cayman Airways flights to Barbados from Cayman were cancelled due to lack of passengers.
Bryan shared his regret at the cancelled route, which he said was important for opening access to destinations in the eastern Caribbean.
“We had guarantees there to make sure it was profitable,” he said. “It’s sad that we’re losing that flight because of politics.”
He said, however, to watch for news of future developments regarding regional travel.
Looking to long-term airline access to the Cayman Islands, Bryan said the government is seeking to foster more partnerships, bringing in flights as often and from as many destinations as possible.
“My goal as minister is to fill gaps. Obviously we have the high season, when we have a high usage of our room stock,” he said. “But there are times of the year when that drops, so it’s about maintaining a continued partnership and convincing them that Cayman has a good product all year round.”
– Cayman Compass.
