Above: a Delta Airlines plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Delta Airlines is increasing its services to the Caribbean.

The carrier will be launching a new seasonal Saturday-only flights from New York’s John F Kennedy Airport to Turks and Caicos, Antigua and Grenada.

The company said it was introducing the new flights “as a response to an increased demand for more connections between United States cities and those Caribbean tourist destinations.”

“The Caribbean is very important to Delta’s success and the airline is diligently working to meet customers’ expectations by offering increased connectivity, enhanced on-board services and state-of-the-art technology applied to travel,” said Maria Fernanda Price, regional manager for Delta in the Caribbean, in a release. “Delta is New York City’s largest and fastest growing carrier, providing service to more destinations from New York-JFK and New York-LaGuardia combined than any other airline.”

The Turks and Caicos service will begin out of Boston.

“We continue to see a growing demand in Boston and increased flights next year will give our customers more direct service at more convenient times,” Bob Cortelyou, Delta’s SVP for Network Planning. “Boston is a key domestic city in our network and we are committed to providing service that continues to keep us the preferred airline of our customers.”

Delta currently operates a daily nonstop flight from Atlanta to Providenciales.

“While many airlines are decreasing services, we are pleased that Delta acknowledges Turks and Caicos as the foremost destination in the Caribbean,” said Ralph Higgs, the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Director of Tourism. “The additional airlift from Boston will undoubtedly make the Turks and Caicos more attractive to potential vacationers traveling from the eastern seaboard of the United States or connecting through these gateways; a sign of great things for the future of our tourism market.”