No direct Boston flights from November
Bermuda is set to lose its direct air service to Boston, a major US gateway city, when JetBlue airlines cuts its service at the end of this month.
The quick flight to Boston is a popular link for Bermudian students in the US as well as for medical travel with the Lahey Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital.
With no service from rival carrier Delta Air Lines, residents will have to connect through other gateways.
It also marks a blow for tourism: Boston features with New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, DC on the National Tourism Plan’s list of “focus” cities for visitors.
In a joint statement, the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) and Bermuda Airport Authority (BAA) called the loss “disappointing”.
The BTA and BAA added: “The loss of direct service from a major market is unfortunate.”
The two said there was “no reason to doubt that the service will resume in the spring of 2022”.
This month’s schedule had JetBlue coming from Boston to LF Wade International Airport six times a week.
The JetBlue link dates back to 2006.
The BAA and BTA said recent months had shown “some growth in load factors in certain markets”.
“But even pre-Covid, November is typically the start of slower travel months in Bermuda and this year is no different.
“Tourism and Transport’s goal is sustainable air service that meets the Island’s needs, including ongoing efforts to increase demand and expand existing service beyond historical seasonal frequency.”
The BAA and BTA were said to be “cautiously optimistic” that the Delta Air Lines service to Boston would resume next year.
The statement added: “Since the onset of the pandemic, Delta has not yet restarted its Boston to Bermuda service. We are actively pursuing opportunities for additional airlift from gateway cities.
“The BTA, BAA, the Ministry of Transport, and our partners are in discussions with carriers to explore alternatives to fill the gap left by the cessation of the Boston – Bermuda route.
“Airlines are motivated by load factors – and while each agency plays a role, the BTA’s primary function is to generate consumer demand through marketing initiatives. “
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