Southwest Florida International gains first nonstop to Bahamas
Silver Airways will begin nonstop service from Southwest Florida International Airport to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport on May 26. Flights will operate three days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
This is the first time Southwest Florida International will have nonstop service to Nassau, Bahamas.
Silver Airways' website shows one-way fares from Fort Myers starting at $126.90.
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“I am extremely pleased," said said Bob Ball, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority .
“One of our key air service development initiatives has been to attract service to the Bahamas, and these new flights will directly link our region to this popular travel destination for the very first time,” Ball said.
This isn't the airport's first Caribbean nonstop destination. That came via Sun Country Airlines which launched service between Fort Myers and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in May of last year.
The local airport also very briefly had Choice Aire nonstop service to Havana, Cuba, starting last November. That fight, however, was suspended after less than a month, for reasons the airline president didn't make clear.
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The Fort Myers airport scored another high-profile, south-of-the-border beach destination last October, when Sun Country began service to Cancun, Mexico.
At Geraci Travel in Fort Myers, company president Bill Lawton said, "I'm excited about another non-stop destination for our clients."
Does this pose a new source of competition for Southwest Florida beach resorts?
Lee County tourism chief Tamara Pigott chose to look on the bright side: “All direct flights into Southwest Florida International Airport help raise the profile of our community.
"While this flight will be an outbound benefit to the community, exposing Fort Myers to a population of about 250,000, gives us the opportunity to bring more people to the community and improve our economy,” Pigott said.
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