It was a historic day for Cayman Brac on Saturday November 28, 2015 as Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) launched the island’s first international flight to and from Holguin, Cuba and also expanded the airline’s existing service between Miami and Cayman Brac.

Speaking at a special ribbon cutting ceremony at the gate prior to the departure of flight KX842 bound from the Brac to Holguin, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Moses Kirkconnel 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.”

Reiterating some of the other reasons for the new service, Cayman Airways President and CEO, Fabian Whorms, noted that this new service to Eastern Cuba was also designed to complement the airline’s existing flights between Havana and Grand Cayman, which is often capacity constrained. He said it was also anticipated that some of CAL’s existing Havana passengers, many of whom are from Cuba’s Eastern towns, will be able to utilize this direct service and avoid lengthy travel between the capital city and their hometowns.

“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 (the country’s second and third largest cities respectively) allowing Cayman Airways to reach the approximately five million people living in this region of Cuba,” he said. “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.”

Additionally, the new route provides connectivity to CAL’s 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.

Also celebrated on Saturday, November 28, 2015 was CAL’s new nonstop weekly outbound service from Cayman Brac to Miami thanks to the expansion and renovation earlier this year of the Brac’s Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA) bringing the airport 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 Mr. 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.

For details and to book, call 345-949-2311, contact a travel agent, or book online at www.caymanairways.com.

Photo caption:
Pictured from back left are: CAL Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Olivia Scott Ramirez; CAL VP Airport Operations, Ivan Forbes; CAL VP Flight Operations, Captain Dave Scott; CAL EVP Finance and Commercial Affairs, Paul Tibbetts; CAL Board Member Bob Watler.
Pictured from front left: Captain Kris Bergstrom; CAL President and CEO, Fabian Whorms; CAL Chairman, Phillip Rankin; CAL Sister Islands Station Manager, Lucille Walton; Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism the Hon. Moses Kirkconnell; and Sister Islands District Commissioner, Ernie Scott.

Photo by: James Tibbetts

About Cayman Airways
Since 1968 Cayman Airways has been serving the Cayman Islands as the country’s National Flag Carrier. With a fleet of four 737-300 Boeing aircraft, the airline provides regular nonstop service from Grand Cayman to Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica; Havana and Holguin, Cuba; La Ceiba, Honduras; Miami and Tampa, Florida; and New York, New York. Flights are also operated to Chicago, Illinois and Dallas, Texas seasonally. Cayman Airways Express operates daily flights between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman with two Twin Otter aircraft. Corporate headquarters for Cayman Airways is located at 91 Owen Roberts Drive, George Town, Grand Cayman. For more information and bookings call (345) 949-2311 (within the Cayman Islands), 1-800-252-2746 (within the US); or visit www.caymanairways.com