Southwest Airlines is continuing its rapid expansion push in the Caribbean in 2017.

The carrier has announced that it will add a new nonstop route between Chicago Midway International Airport and San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.

Southwest is also increasing the frequency of its flights from Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Tampa and Orlando to Puerto Rico.

The new route and expansion will take effect June 4, according to the company.

Southwest will now have two routes to Puerto Rico, from both Newark and Chicago.

“The addition of flights and frequencies in the air routes offered by Southwest Airlines will facilitate the increase of visitors to the Island,” said Jose Izquierdo II, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “This increase will result in a greater contribution of the tourism industry to the economic development of Puerto Rico.”

— Caribbean Journal Staff