In what is a major boost for tourism to the island, Canadian carrier WestJet has announced plans to launch its first-ever nonstop flights to Bonaire.
WestJet will be kicking off nonstop flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Bonaire’s Flamingo International Airport beginning Dec. 12, 2023.
The service will run through at least mid-April 2024, operating once-weekly on Tuesdays, according to WestJet.
It’s the first-ever WestJet flight to Bonaire, and, even more notably, the first-ever nonstop flights between Toronto and Bonaire.
“We are very happy to welcome our friends in the North to our beautiful island this winter via this first of its kind route,” said Miles Mercera, CEO at Tourism Corporation Bonaire. “Canada continues to be a vital connection for Bonaire, with Canada ranking among our top 10 performing markets. This historic new connectivity helps answer the demand of tourism interest in the island, which we expect to only increase during the colder months.”
Bonaire also has regular service from the United States on carriers including United Airlines. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
“We are committed to staying up-to-date with our customers’ travel wants and needs,” CEO of WestJet Group, Alexis von Hoensbroech, commented. “With this new flight, Canadians can explore more corners of the Caribbean and trade in Toronto’s cold snow for Bonaire’s warm breeze.”
The route is actually the only new route in the Caribbean for WestJet for the upcoming winter travel season.
“International airlines have very limited new capacity to add because of crew and aircraft shortage, this announcement proves the confidence we all have in Bonaire and the Toronto market,” said Maarten van der Scheer, CEO of the Flamingo Airport. “The new weekly non-stop flight will provide our passengers from the Toronto area and beyond a much better connection to Bonaire and provides the hospitality sector on the island the much-needed extra airlift. We’re very happy to start this new Toronto flight with WestJet in December in close cooperation with all our stakeholders.”
It’s another sign of the recovery of Canada as a source market for the Caribbean, following what was a serious lull amid the pandemic. Another Canadian carrier, Air Canada, is also planning a big ramp-up to the Caribbean this winter.