Southwest To Fly To St.thomas, U.s.virgin Islands And Expand In The Caribbean

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Southwest Airlines said it will motorboat work to Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) connected St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, early adjacent year, it announced Tuesday, July 14, 2025, taxable to authorities approvals.

This is nan airline’s first recently added destination since 2021, and increases its tropical footprint to 2 destinations successful nan Atlantic Basin.

The caller work will beryllium added to 8 different destinations nan hose serves successful nan Caribbean, including Aruba, nan Bahamas, nan Cayman Islands, Cuba, nan Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and nan Turks & Caicos Islands.

Southwest besides flies to Belize, Costa Rica and Mexico, portion of its web of world destinations.

Strategy & Customer Focus

Bob Jordan, presently President, CEO and Vice-Chairman of Southwest Airlines, based on that a caller CEO could not move astir and make nan captious manuever aft years of exertion investment, vendor contracts and gathering customer demands.

Jordan emphasized nan customer attraction to day of nan partnership, saying that Southwest Airlines listens to customers erstwhile it comes to nan offerings nan institution brings to them arsenic good arsenic to their ain demands.

Customers person told america they worth enhancing nan lives of nan group they love, truthful we are empowering them to make their recreation acquisition moreover much typical pinch new, individually tailored products and features, he said. These initiatives, Jordan explains, correspond a robust ecosystem for promoting value and convenience for each its customers, and are strategically aligned pinch nan company’s wide business goals.

On nan hit-driven side, Jordan wished that it is simply a very affirmative move successful position of driving toward profitability arsenic it improves customer relationships.

Local Leadership Welcomes New Connectivity

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. conveyed excitement and said it was a bully time for nan U.S. Virgin Islands, while adding this benefits nan territory. He added that nan territory was excited astir VIPA’s caller collaboration pinch Delta Air Lines and having caller visitors task to their beautiful islands.

The airdrome is nan busiest successful nan U.S. Virgin Islands and nan 2nd busiest successful nan Eastern Caribbean aft Piarco International Airport successful Trinidad and Tobago.

The airdrome besides provides entree to nan British Virgin Islands. Operated by nan Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA), it has 1 asphalt paved runway and eleven gates, on pinch much than 1.6 cardinal passengers per year.

Product Improvements Late 2025–Early 2026

Widest single-aisle spot Doesn’t person to run a way for an hose to research it, and Southwest is getting a jump 2 years earlier connected really it mightiness return advantage of nan plane.

Southwest will commencement pinch assigned seating and premium seating successful nan 3rd 4th of 2025 earlier fare bundles arrive, followed 1 4th later by reconfigured craft including extra-legroom seats (Q1 2026).

Economic & Tourism Impact

The caller work is simply a strategical inaugural by nan Bryan Administration, nan U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and nan Virgin Islands Port Authority to summation aerial work to nan destination owed to its imaginable effect connected nan territory’s economy, arsenic good arsenic its capacity for bolstering tourism and building resiliency.

The summation successful accessible airlift will thief diversify sources of tourism request successful St. Thomas, and support a assortment of mini businesses and entrepreneurs passim nan island, arsenic it has connected St. John and St. Croix.

Bigger Caribbean Vision

As its ninth Caribbean island, St.Thomas really cements Southwest successful immoderate of its important leisure markets. The remaining 2 2026 destinations person yet to beryllium revealed, however, they further exemplify nan carrier’s continued web modernisation and description to caller markets.

Final Thoughts

Southwest adding St. Thomas is simply a beardown strategical push into Caribbean tourism, giving nan walking nationalist moreover much options and much flexibility.

Combining nan support of section leaders and nan airline’s finance successful upgraded work products, nan U.S. Virgin Islands tin expect a higher influx of visitors and consequent economical impact, while Southwest enhances its tropical portfolio astatine nan outset of engaged recreation periods.

Image: Southwest Airlines

Sources:

1. Southwest Airlines Co. property merchandise via PR Newswire dpnr.vi.gov+10PR Newswire+10Travel Agent Central+10
2. TravelAgentCentral coverage
3. St. Thomas Source study St. Thomas Source+1dpnr.vi.gov+1
4. Government of U.S. Virgin Islands statement
5. Cyril E. King Airport (STT) data, Virgin Islands Port Authority Caribbean News Digital+7Wikipedia+7Tra