The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

UNITED Airlines is set to begin weekly peak season service between Chicago and Nassau next February, with Tourism minister Obie Wilchombe telling Tribune Business yesterday that he was already looking at trying to expand that service to three times a week.

Direct flights by United will come to Nassau from Chicago every Saturday during peak season. The service will begin on February 9, 2013.

The Nassau flight is one of four round-trip additions that complement the airline’s $40 million service improvements at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. 

Mr Wilchombe said: “United announced on Tuesday that they are going to begin direct service from Chicago to Nassau, beginning in February, and that’s once a week. We are now trying to get it to at least least three times a week.

“We are discussing with them also service into Freeport, because we have to get more airlift into the Bahamas.”

Mr Wilchombe added: “United is going to be about 70 seats a week. The whole idea is they want to nurture it, and we understand that, but we are going to be aggressive. What we are going to do to complement what they are doing is we are going to put some marketing dollars into radio and television in those areas because it does not make sense having airlift and no one knows about it.”

Mr Wilchombe expressed confidence that more seats were coming to the Bahamas.

“Air Canada is going to put on another flight to Exum,a and we are going after more charter services,” he added.

“The more bodies we get for overnight visitors, the more we are complementing our tourism industry. We have the cruise now; we’re going to sustain that. We are going to do all that we possibly can to renegotiate with the cruise lines to make sure we hold on to their business and expand it. In addition to that we have to make sure we have the airlift; the airlift is key.”