The low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines began its service to the Bahamas yesterday with an inaugural flight from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau.
Following in the footsteps of other low-cost airlines such as JetBlue and Song Airways, the United States largest privately owned airline has added the Bahamas to its destinations.
After the arrival of the 150-passenger jet at Nassau International Airport (NIA), which was met by a Junkanoo group and a water arch, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe welcomed the airline and said that low-fare carriers represent the right way forward for the Bahamas.
Addressing representatives of the Airport and Civil Aviation, as well as US charge d’affaires Robert Witajewski and chairman of the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board George Myers at a press conference held at the airport’s VIP lounge, Mr. Wilchcombe said that, “We recognise that this year more than a third of the travelling public used these airlines and next year more than 40 per cent will. So we know we’re going in the right direction, we know what it’s going to mean to our hotels and to the Bahamian people”.
Source: Karin Herig, The Tribune
