BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 3RD 2013 (CUOPM) – Aviation history was made here with the overnighting and scheduled departures from the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport of two American Airlines on Thursday and Sunday mornings.
American Airlines flights depart for the Miami International Airport, Florida and the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York every Thursday and Sunday morning after arriving the previous evening.
And manager of American Airlines St. Kitts operations, Mr. Hugh Mallalieu said the load factor in and out of the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport is “surprisingly good.”
“It is coming right into the heart of the season with a 70 percent load factor for December,” Mr. Mallalieu told the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM).
It is recorded that jet service between Miami and New York and St. Kitts commenced in 1979.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport two weeks ago welcomed two more non-stop flights by American Airlines from Miami’s International Airport in Florida.
Two American flights from operate from Miami on Thursdays and Saturdays in addition to the Friday and Sunday flights from Miami that were added in November 2012.
This expands American’s Miami service to 11 flights weekly, including twice daily service for four days per week from Thursday through Sunday.
From JFK, the flights depart New York on Wednesdays and Saturdays and overnight on St. Kitts to return the following days, Thursday and Sunday mornings.
The timing of the JFK flight southbound also changes to an afternoon departure from JFK with a morning departure northbound the next day, allowing for a greater number of connections in New York.
With the new flights, the southbound American flight AA1741 departs Miami International Airport (MIA) at 4:45 p.m. and arrives at St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) at 8:35 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday.
The northbound return flight AA1746 departs St. Kitts at 8:40 a.m. and arrives at MIA at 11 a.m. every Friday through Monday.
The southbound American flight AA2051 departs New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 4:30 p.m. and arrives into St. Kitts at 9:40 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday.
The northbound return flight AA2052 departs St. Kitts at 9:40 a.m. and arrives at JFK at 1:25 p.m. every Thursday and Sunday.
American Airlines now uses a Boeing 737-800 aircraft for all flights into St. Kitts. These two additional daily flights continue a series of service increases to St. Kitts by American Airlines over the past eight years during the tenure of current Minister of Tourism and International transport, Sen. the Hon. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt.
American first started its Miami service to St. Kitts in December 2004 with three flights weekly, which grew to five flights weekly in 2006 and to daily flights in 2008.
The Miami service increased to nine flights per week last year and just one year later, with these two additional Miami flights, to 11 flights per week.
American has operated twice weekly service from JFK to St. Kitts since November 2007.