CAL Begins Brac-Cuba Flights
(CNS Business): Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) has launched the first international flight to and from Holguin, Cuba, and expanded its Miami service to Cayman Brac. The flight to the eastern end of the island nation is designed to complement the airline’s existing flights between Havana and Grand Cayman, and the airline expects some Havana passengers, many of whom are from Cuba’s eastern towns, will use this new service.
“Holguin, the fourth largest city in Cuba and a popular vacation destination city is conveniently located between the Cuban cities of Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey,” said Cayman Airways President and CEO, Fabian Whorms, adding that it would allow the airline to reach around five million people living in this region of Cuba. “With convenient connections in Cayman Brac on to Grand Cayman and Miami, this service will allow many passengers to simplify their travel and provide the opportunity for others to experience new locations.”
Speaking at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the gate prior to the departure of the first flight from the Brac to Holguin last month, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said, “The introduction of this service provides several benefits and allows us to make better use of our existing assets, in this case the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, which was recently enhanced and expanded to handle more capacity. Servicing the Holguin route from Cayman Brac significantly reduces the pressure on the Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) on Grand Cayman, which already experiences high demand, particularly on a Saturday. Passengers arriving into Cayman Brac from Holguin will be able to subsequently travel to Grand Cayman or Miami.”
The new route connects with interline partners like Air Canada and Condor as well as others in Holguin, making this new route poised to attract more European and Canadian visitors for the country as either a convenient point of connection, or as part of a dual-destination vacation package.
CAL’s new weekly outbound service from Cayman Brac to Miami was introduced after renovations at Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA) brought it into compliance with international safety standards for nonstop flights into the United States.
“This new nonstop service from the Brac to Miami is a much welcomed convenience for Cayman Brac visitors and travelers alike,” added Whorms. “It is a natural extension of our long standing direct inbound flight from Miami to Cayman Brac as it now completes the travel, allowing Miami passengers to now travel nonstop both to and from Cayman Brac. Additionally, it is hoped that the flight will provide a convenient connecting flight from Holguin to Miami for those legally able to travel between the two countries.”
Both new international flights out of Cayman Brac will operate once a week, on Saturdays. For the new Holguin route, flight KX842 departs Cayman Brac at 1:45pm and arrives in Holguin at 2:45pm. On the return leg, flight KX843 departs Holguin at 3:45pm and arrives in the Brac at 4:45pm. For the new nonstop flight from the Brac to Miami, flight KX126 departs at 5:45pm and arrives in Miami at 7:10pm.
