American Airlines has launched a new nonstop route to the island of Grand Bahama in The Bahamas. 

The world’s largest airline has kicked off new service between Charlotte, North Carolina and Freeport, Grand Bahama. 

The inaugural flights was welcomed this weekend with a red carpet, a Junkanoo band and Bahamas Goombay Punch for the arriving visitors. 

The new nonstop route will be operating weekly on Saturdays, in a major boost for the island’s tourism fortunes. 

American is operating the service on CR9-Canadair RJ 900s with 90 seats. 

It’s one of two new routes launching from North Carolina to The Bahamas, along with soon-to-debut service on Bahamasair between Raleigh and Grand Bahama. 

“We’ve been in North Carolina recently with the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation promoting Grand Bahama Island and this new flight that is direct from Charlotte, we have Raleigh coming up soon as well, so we’re so excited about the opportunities for Grand Bahama Island for this new increased airlift,” said Ginger Moxey, The Bahamas’ Minister for Grand Bahama. 

In the medium term, new service is also coming to Grand Bahama from Toronto, Montreal and Orlando, according to Bahamian officials. 

“We want people to know that there’s so much to do on this island,” Moxie said. “There are so many hidden gems and I believe the people that are here today are going to be able to experience that. Grand Bahama, things are looking up,” Moxie said. “It’s been needed, we’ve been through so much.”

The new service was the result of months of negotiations, according to Nuvolari Chotoosingh, Manager of Niche Markets at the Ministry of Tourism in Grand Bahama.

“Charlotte is a major airline hub out of the United States and so to get a flight out of there, particularly with an airline such as American Airlines that puts someone from the Midwest into Charlotte and then from Charlotte directly into Grand Bahama, that’s phenomenal,” Chotoosingh said.