It is a matter of interest that with lovers on the island celebrating Valentine’s Day and exchanging gifts for the occasion on Saturday, February 14, that Anguilla, as a tourist destination, experiencing problems of access, should also on that day receive a gift of a new carrier. The hope is that it will assist in easing the access situation especially for travelers on the San Juan/Anguilla route and vice versa.

Anguilla Air Express begins three flights to Anguilla on Saturday, February 14

That aircraft service, which will complement the one night flight to the island by America Eagle, will be provided by Anguilla Air Express at US$350 per person. If this is a love affair for visitors to Anguilla as well as Anguillians traveling between the two destinations, with better access, it is a greater love when one considers that the three daily flights are being provided by Anguillian pilot, Kirby Hodge, and his wife Rose, owners of the operating company, Rainbow International.

The first flight of the 8-seat luxury King Air Turboprop A 100 carrier, is scheduled to

Anguilla Air Express begins three flights to Anguilla on Saturday, February 14

touch down at Wallblake Airport at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday, February 14. The other two flights from San Juan will be at 2.45 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. as will be the case on each day. The flights from Anguilla to San Juan will be at 8.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m.

The service is being advertised as a superior one, scheduled to meet intransit passengers from the US mainland. There will be an experienced crew of two pilots with flight time estimated at 55 minutes. A Meet and Greet Service as well as an Escort Service, Baggage pickup and transfer, are among the special features being offered by Anguilla Air Express.

In addition, there are no penalties for flight changes, neither are there any fare differences if flights are changed. There are also no minimum or maximum stays, with passengers holding tickets being in a position to confirm a seat whenever needed. This is in stark contrast to what is the norm in the travel industry which carries penalties for changes as well as possible fare differences.

According to Marie Walker of the Anguilla Tourist Board Office in North America, there was been a considerable amount of interest in the new access service at a recent New York Tourism Consumer Show. It is hoped that everything will be done to further inform travel agents and tour operators of the service, especially those already using the St. Maarten gateway into Anguilla, if for some reason they wish to change booking routes.

Anguilla’s Tourism Adviser, Donna Banks, main negotiator of the access service with
Rainbow International, on behalf of the Anguilla Government, says that there are plans to increase capacity within a six-month period. We can only hope, as already said, that all will go well and that the need for a larger aircraft to accommodate more passengers will be possible as the requirement arises.

It is understood that the inaugural flight of Anguilla Air Express will be celebrated by a welcome reception at Wallblake Airport on Saturday, February 14.

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