Puerto Rico Remains Upbeat Amid AA Flight Reduction

Puerto Rico Remains Upbeat Amid AA Flight Reduction

American Airlines’ recent reduction in flights to San Juan will have no measurable effect on leisure travel to Puerto Rico, said Mario Gonzalez Lafuente, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC).

Speaking at a Friday media briefing at the International Destination Expo in San Juan, Gonzalez said Puerto Rico recorded a 4 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2011 versus 2010, and capacity increases by AirTran and JetBlue will compensate for American Airlines’ withdrawal of service to San Juan from five U.S. gateways. American first announced the service cuts, which went into effect April 6, last October.

“We are not expecting declines because of [American Airlines’ reduction in flights]. Since American advised us of the changes, we have been very proactive in replacing the American seats with other airlines, and we are in negotiations with additional airlines,” Gonzalez said. American reduced its San Juan service from 25 daily departures to 15, and also cut its American Eagle routes from San Juan to other Caribbean islands from 33 daily departures to 28.

AirTran recently launched a Tampa-San Juan route and also flies to San Juan from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando. JetBlue also now serves San Juan from Tampa, and will begin a San Juan-to-St. Maarten route in November. JetBlue, now the largest carrier in Puerto Rico, will offer 27 daily departures from San Juan and 34 daily departures from Puerto Rico this summer.