Low-cost carrier Norwegian continues to show strong traffic growth, according to the company’s latest monthly report.

Norwegian carried more than 2.9 million passengers in May, an increase of 11 percent compared to the same month in 2016.

The carrier has been rapidly expanding, particularly to the Caribbean, with new routes to Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico in recent years.

“We are very pleased to see that more passengers chose to fly Norwegian. Our international growth continues, in line with the company’s global strategy, enabling us to create more jobs,” said Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos.

A total of 2,923,597 passengers chose to fly with Norwegian in May, 281,931 more than the same period last year. Total traffic growth (RPK) increased by 17 per cent, while the capacity growth increased by 19 per cent.

— CJ Staff

The post Norwegian Continues to See Big Traffic Growth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Southwest Airlines is adding another new Caribbean destination.

The fast-expanding carrier is planning to launch new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos beginning Nov. 5.

Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly made the announcement in a news conference this week as part of a preview for the carrier’s $333 million revitalization and expansion of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport’s Terminal 1, slated to debut this summer.

“These new gates, additional border screening capacity, and the arts and flavor of South Florida will be a hit with hundreds of thousands of Southwest’s local Customers who prefer our all-in friendliness and value,” said Kelly. “In offering access to the network of America’s largest carrier1, we also bring Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood a bolder shade of blue, where two bags fly free for everyone, where no one pays a change fee*, with purposed policies rooted in the spirit of no surprises.”

The daily Turks and Caicos flights will be a significant new option for travelers looking to head to the Turks and Caicos, with flights starting at $59 one way — easily the cheapest flights to the destination on any carrier.

The Sands at Grace Bay.

It’s the latest airlift boost for the Turks and Caicos islands, which last year saw new service out of Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue.

Looking for places to stay in Turks and Caicos? Check out our recent feature on The Sands at Grace Bay and a list of great Turks and Caicos beach bars to check out.

– CJ Staff

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The Caribbean saw a slight increase in tourist arrivals in the first quarter, helped significantly by continued strong growth from Cuba, according to the latest numbers from the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The region reported 8.7 million international tourist arrivals in the first quarter, a 1.8 percent increase over 2016, although that was led by strong numbers from Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the region’s two largest tourism destinations by volume, according to new CTO Chairman Dionisio D’Aguilar, the Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism.

The region did show improvement out of Canada, with a 4.8 percent increase in arrivals, after a sluggish 2016 from the country.

Cruise passenger arrivals showed a 4.5 percent increase, with about 10 million arrivals overall.

— CJ Staff

The post How Caribbean Tourism Fared in the First Quarter appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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PONCE, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) agents on Wednesday morning found 16 bales of cocaine amounting to 1,198 pounds (543 kilos) inside an abandoned “yola” vessel on the coast of…

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Grenada has announced its intent to begin searching for oil in its waters.

Grenada Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Dr. Keith Mitchell announced the endeavor in a national address last week following tributes from IMF, World Bank, CDB and other international bodies who have singled out Grenada’s economic recovery efforts.

He said that the Global Petroleum Group, which the government of Grenada granted authorization to conduct a seismic survey on the island, has identified “the most prospective geographical features offering the greatest exploration and economic potential.

“They have prepared all the engineering and logistical plans for the exploratory drilling campaign, engaged all the contractors, subcontractors and vendors necessary, and are on the verge of commencing the exploratory drilling campaign within the next month or two,” Mitchell said.

At present, Grenada does not produce any oil.

However, if the GPG’s drilling campaign proves successful, it may result in outcomes that will have positive rippling effects across the Grenadian economy.

“Their achievements to date, represents the furthest any company conducting petroleum exploration in Grenada has ever reached—and the quest continues, with future prospects in sight,” Mitchell said.

The post Grenada to Begin Search for Oil appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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