Low cost carrier Sun Country Airlines will begin the first ever direct weekly flights between Fort Myers and San Juan, Puerto Rico from next year.
The Minnesota based airline said it will initially be a seasonal service, from May 3 to August 23, with high hopes of year round coverage if local demand supports it.
It will operate every Sunday with additional Thursday flights from June 11 through August 20.
Currently only Miami and Fort Lauderdale offer direct Puerto Rico flights from Florida.
"We have been working to get air service to San Juan for four or five years. It has been one of the most requested destinations that we’ve been receiving from the local Hispanic community, for both business and leisure traffic," said Bob Ball, executive director of Southwest Florida International Airport operator Lee County Port Authority.
"What we like about breaking into the San Juan market is the number of connecting flights that they have to other Caribbean and South American destinations," Ball said.
These include Bogota, Colombia and Panama City.
"Right now, Miami is the gateway to Latin America, but with direct flights between our area and Puerto Rico, this could open up new opportunities for Southwest Florida," said Veronica Culbertson, president of the Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which had pushed hard for the service for several years.
"Not only will it help bring business in, but also tourism and it’s going to benefit the community as a whole economically," Culbertson said.
Founded in 1982, Sun Country also operates year-round flights from Fort Myers to its hub in Minneapolis.
