By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

United Airlines is continuing its Caribbean expansion out of Chicago.

The carrier will be launching a new nonstop flight from Chicago to St Lucia beginning Dec. 19.

The inaugural service comes in response to increasing travel demand from the US, with St. Lucia’s year-to-date visitor traffic up nine percent over 2014, according to the country’s tourist board.

“The expanded partnership with United signifies the first non-stop regularly scheduled service between the two destinations, making Saint Lucia even more accessible for travelers. The new flights connect major gateways in the Midwestern United States and provide added convenience for connections with a number of new markets,” said Louis Lewis, Director of Tourism for the Saint Lucia Tourist Board.

The flight, which operate on a Boeing 737 aircraft, will depart out of Chicago O’Hare International Airport to St. Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport every Saturday through April 9, 2016.

“We are delighted to be announcing new service to Saint Lucia from Chicago and an additional flight from Newark,” said Director of Leisure Sales for United Airlines, Vic Kerckhoff. “Our increased seasonal services will give travelers more flexibility and more choice when flying to the island.”

United will also launch another new service to St. Lucia out of New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport beginning December 20, which will run on Sundays through May 1, 2016.