Continental Airlines launched five new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean this weekend. Continental began service from Houston to Bonaire and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Continental also inaugurated service from Newark to Liberia, Costa Rica and Curacao. Service began from LaGuardia to Aruba. The new flight to Punta Cana departs Houston at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, arriving in Punta Cana at 7:35 p.m. The return flight departs Punta Cana at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and arrives in Houston at 11:50 a.m.

In response to pent-up demand from the UK and Europe, Caribbean Star Airlines and Caribbean Sun Airlines made public this week the airlines´ plans to dramatically expand service. Expansion will occur throughout the Caribbean, specifically between Guyana and Barbados; Port of Spain and Barbados; Antigua to St. Kitts and Barbados; Anguilla to St. Kitts and Antigua; and Barbados to St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, Georgetown and Port of Spain.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil´s low-cost, low-fare airline, has begun selling tickets for its newest international destination, Montevideo, Uruguay. The inaugural flight was confirmed for January 1. GOL will offer daily flights departing from Guarulhos airport in Sao Paulo at 9:00 pm, with a stop in Porto Alegre (RS). Returning flights –Montevideo to Sao Paulo- will depart Montevideo at 6:15 am, arriving in Guarulhos at 9:30 am.

Air Jamaica will launch nonstop service between New York (JFK) and St. Lucia on February 23. The flights will operate Sunday, Monday and Thursday, departing New York at 7 a.m. and arriving St. Lucia at 12:35 p.m. On the return leg the flight will leave St. Lucia at 6:35 p.m. and arrive in New York at 10:15 p.m.

Winair increased its service between Antigua and Montserrat from four to six flights a day through January 8. Air service to Montserrat resumed in July after a 10-year impasse due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano in 1995, which destroyed the island´s W.H. Bramble Airport.

Virgin America secured $177.3 million in committed capital from an investment group, as the new U.S.-based airline startup taxied toward a 2006 launch date. Virgin America, an offshoot of Virgin Airlines, said the funding commitment –from VAI Partners, Black Canyon Capital and Cyrus Capital Partners- was the largest for a startup.