By the Caribbean Journal staff

Delta Air Lines is set to relaunch an important service for the United States Virgin Islands this month.

The carrier is launching daily nonstop flights between New York and St Thomas, with the expanded service set to begin May 24.

The move has come as the result of strong bookings on Delta’s popular Atlanta-St Thomas route, according to United States Virgin Islands Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

It’s a big lift for a destination that has been steadily recovering from last year’s storms.

Indeed, several of St Thomas’ top place to stay have reopened, including the Marriott Frenchman’s Cove resort, while St Thomas’ Secret Harbour is planning to reopen June 1. The Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas will likely reopen in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The Red Hook ferry to St John.

The island’s beloved Bolongo Bay is also plotting a June relaunch.

The new Delta flights come as several other carriers have also been ramping up their service to the US Virgin Islands, including Spirit, which has added daily service from Fort Lauderdale to St Thomas, and JetBlue which earlier this year added additional flights between San Juan and St Thomas.

The Marriott Frenchman’s Cove.

They also provide a boost for the British Virgin Islands, easily accessible via ferry and short flights from St Thomas to Tortola’s Beef Island Airport.

Delta’s latest expansion comes after the carrier announced a wave of new routes to destinations including Jamaica, The Bahamas and Haiti.