The designated Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR), Carlos Mercado Santiago, released today an update on the gradual recovery of air traffic in Puerto Rico, highlighting important progress in reactivating routes between the island and key destinations in Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
“Restoring and strengthening air access in Puerto Rico is part of the priorities we set out in the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s plan for the gradual reopening of the destination. In this sense, the preparation for the gradual reactivation of international flights is a step forward, ”said Mercado Santiago. “Puerto Rico is a major connecting bridge connecting the United States and Europe to the Caribbean, so one of the main goals of our air access division is to continue to facilitate the restart of flight operations by the end of 2021, in a safe and secure manner . responsibly, and adhering to the new protocols needed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic ”.
The designated head of tourism stressed that both Copa and Avianca have already resumed flights to San Juan, to Panama and Bogotá respectively. Copa operates four weekly flights, while Avianca operates the San Juan route three times a week.
In the case of European airlines, the Spanish flag carrier Iberia is expected to resume flights between Madrid and San Juan in the second quarter of 2021, with between three and five weekly flights. Likewise, the German airline Condor announced last weekend that it will resume its non-stop route from Frankfurt to San Juan, with a weekly flight every Saturday from November 2021. Condor customers can now make their reservations through the airline’s website.
Another important international destination for the island is Canada. Prior to the pandemic, three airlines (Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat) operated nonstop flights in the winter season from Toronto and Montreal to Puerto Rico. Mercado emphasized that the Canadian market’s recovery has slowed due to the severe restrictions on Canadians returning to their country and the prolonged shutdown of the cruise industry. All airlines have committed to the destination as soon as the control measures have been adapted.
For his part, the Director of Air and Maritime Access of the CTPR, Alejandro Caicedo, noted that: “We are in constant contact with our international partners to support their operations in Puerto Rico and restore their seating capacity. Although the pandemic reduced international traffic to and from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport by 70% in 2020, we see several positive developments, with the restart of the operations of major airlines, mainly from Central and South America ”.
The Caribbean market is also in full recovery after major destinations such as the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands reopened. Currently, flights are back to some 15 destinations in the Caribbean, with more than seven airlines serving the region, albeit with a significant reduction in capacity.
In accordance with the Governor’s commitment Pedro Pierluisi To further advance Puerto Rico’s economic development, the CTPR is working closely with the Department of Health, Port Authority, Federal Government and Aerostar Airport Holdings on plans for the gradual reopening of the destination, with a sanitation focus and responsible tourism .
“In addition to the airlines already serving the destination, we are constantly evaluating air traffic trends to identify new international markets that could open as soon as market conditions allow. As part of our efforts, we are working to improve infrastructure tourism, reactivate and renovate attractions and , together with Discover Puerto Rico, to regain our destination’s positioning in strategic markets, ”concludes Mercado Santiago.
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