From ch – aviation

Cayman Airways (KX, Grand Cayman Island) is planning to launch maiden flights to the western United States early in 2019, Cayman Islands Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell has said during a meeting with the business community, as reported by the Cayman Compass.

While no destinations have been named just yet, Denver Int’l is one of the possibilities.

According to Kirkconnell, research has been nearly completed now and the carrier may announce the route in the coming weeks. Flights to the western part of the US would open up the Cayman tourism market to new customers from the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains, and even from Western Canada.

The move to the new market was partially forced on Cayman Airways due to the growing competition on its key routes to Florida and Cuba.

The Cayman flag carrier would operate the new route with B737 MAX 8 equipment which offers longer range than the current fleet of the airline. Cayman Airways is set to take delivery of the first of four Boeing twinjets of the type by the end of 2018. All four units will be sourced through a lease with Air Lease Corporation.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Cayman Airways currently operates three B737-300s, oneB737-800, two DHC-6-300s, and two Saab 340B(Plus)s. The carrier already serves each of Miami Int’l, Tampa Int’l, and New York JFK out of its main base at Grand Cayman Island.

The carrier already operated ad-hoc charter flights to the western US in the past, serving San Diego Int’l and Dallas/Fort Worth, among others.

IMAGE:

Cayman Airways Boeing 737-300 © Tis Meyer / PlanePics.org

For more on this story go to: https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/66719-cayman-airways-eyes-western-us-flights-in-2019