By the Caribbean Journal staff

American Airlines’ new flights to the island of St Vincent have officially begun.

The first nonstop flight from Miami to St Vincent’s Argyle International Airport touched down on Saturday, Dec. 15.

The year-round service will operate weekly on Saturdays on an Airbus A319 aircraft.

“To have direct service out of Miami is a game changer for the country. This service will make it so much easier for visitors including the diaspora to vacation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” said Glen Beache, the chief executive officer of the SVG Tourism Authority. “Miami being one of the main hubs for connections in the USA will be an excellent gateway for visitors from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and even the United Kingdom to access the beauty that is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

The new flights complement weekly Wednesdays service on Caribbean Airlines to St Vincent and weekly nonstop Thursday flights from Toronto on Air Canada Rouge.

Beginning this weekend, Air Canada Rouge is adding a second weekly flight to St Vincent on Sundays; that service will operate through April 2019.