Frontier Airlines, American announce new routes from San Juan
Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines announced four new routes from the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport to Baltimore, Boston, Chicago and its first international service from San Juan to the airline’s most recent Caribbean destination: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Frontier serves 11 destinations with direct service from San Juan. The new routes were part of a broader announcement by the carrier that confirmed it will launch a total of 25 nonstop routes from a handful of airports, including its return to Central America with flights to Guatemala City and San Salvador.
“We’re excited to expand our presence in San Juan with four new routes, highlighting our commitment to provide economic air access to Puerto Rico,” said Daniel Shurz, senior commercial vice president of Frontier Airlines. “We’re delighted with the response to our convenient service and hope to continue strengthening our relationship with the community.
“Frontier is among the fastest growing airlines in the U.S. and we are excited to introduce 25 new routes including more flights from Newark, expansion in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and new flights to Guatemala City and San Salvador,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial for Frontier Airlines. “We recognize the demand for affordable air travel in these communities and are proud to bring our brand of ‘Low Fares Done Right’ to these sought-after destinations.”
Carla Campos, Puerto Rico Tourism Co. executive director said 2 ½ years after Frontier launched local service, it has become one of the airlines with the largest number of destinations served in Puerto Rico.
“With the addition of Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and Santo Domingo, San Juan will receive 89,540 additional seats during the summer of 2020, representing an economic impact of $28 million from visitor spending,” she said.
Nelman Nevarez, director of operations for the airport’s operator Aerostar, said, “We’re very pleased with the vertiginous growth that Frontier has experienced through a 35% increase in flights to new destinations and more frequencies from San Juan.”
“We know that this translates into better services and experience for our visitors, one of our main priorities. For this reason, we’re investing substantially in the development of capital projects to improve and strengthen the airport’s facilities and infrastructure,” he said.
Frontier also unveiled plans for a new base crew in Miami, which will open in March 2020, with plans to add more than 100 flight attendants and 30 pilots within the first three months.
American Airlines adds flights from Dallas to Caribbean
In related news, Campos confirmed that American Airlines will start a second flight between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
“The nonstop flight represents 68,255 additional seats available per year and an economic impact of $34 million to the economy of Puerto Rico,” said Campos.
“We continue working to increase air access to Puerto Rico. This route has the potential to expand our market in the central and western areas of the continental United States and solidifies our position as the Caribbean air hub,” Campos added.
American Airlines announced a few months ago that the new air service is part of its expansion from Dallas to the Caribbean, which includes new service for the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Kitts, among other destinations.
