Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 18, 2016 (SKNIS): As the Minister who is tasked with the responsibility and has been entrusted to take care of the safety and security of the Federation’s airports through the Ministry of Aviation, the Honourable Mark Brantley has expressed his delight in the operations of the facilities for the last 18 months since he assumed the post.
“We have had no major difficulties at either of our airports, not at the RLB [Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw] nor at the Vance Amory International in Nevis,” said the Aviation Minister, during a town hall meeting on Tuesday (August 16). “We have been vigilant, we have beefed up our staff and we have been doing what is necessary to ensure that we keep our airports safe.”
Minister Brantley said that he has been working with the Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant to increase the airlift into St. Kitts and Nevis.
“[We have] been instrumental in negotiating and concluding negotiations of the coming of United Airlines directly into St. Kitts [and Nevis] from New Jersey [United States],” said Minister Brantley. “Not only that, but under this Unity Administration they have now increased their flights into the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis from once a week to twice a week.”
He noted that discussions are ongoing with other airlines, but of equal importance, he is happy to report on his involvement with particular airlines.
“I was very pleased to have been involved through the Ministry of Aviation with the new arrangements between JetBlue and Seabourne Airlines and between Delta Airlines and Seabourne Airlines,” he said. “What that means Kittitians and Nevisians, is that you can now book a ticket on JetBlue direct from St. Kitts [and Nevis] to wherever you are going in the US [United States]. You can now book tickets on Delta direct from St. Kitts and Nevis to wherever you are going to in the US, flying via Seabourne Airlines if that is your choice.”
To date, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and US Airways conduct direct flights into St. Kitts and Nevis from various destinations in the United States of America. American Airlines has a non-stop service from John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturdays and a non-stop service on Sundays in June through August. There is also daily service on the said airline from Miami International Airport, with twice daily service from Thursdays through Sundays.
Delta Airlines has a weekly non-stop service on Saturdays from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and US Airways has a non-stop service on Saturdays from Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. Seabourne Airlines conducts daily service to St. Kitts and Nevis from San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.