Southwest Airlines has launched the first flights of what could be a major expansion into the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The carrier officially began operating daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau this week, its first international nonstop service from South Florida to the Bahamas.

Southwest is entering the home stretch of $295 million modernization project at the airport’s Terminal 1, slated tor completion in the second quarter of next year.

Nassau

“Daily service to and from Nassau ushers in an international future for Southwest,” the company said in a statement.

Nassau becomes the carrier’s 29th destination, soon to be followed by new flights to Cuba that are slated to launch this fall, as Cuba Journal reported.

The new Nassau flights are the latest international foray for Southwest, which has been steadily expanding its service to the Caribbean, including from hubs in Los Angeles and Houston’s Hobby airport.

— CJ Staff