American Airlines has launched a new route to the Caribbean’s most popular tourism destination, the Dominican Republic. 

This weekend, the world’s largest airline kicked off its first-ever route from Miami and Samaná. 

Samaná, set on a peninsula in the northeast of the country, has been one of the fastest-growing tourism hotspots in the wider country in recent years. 

American had been previously serving Samana from its Charlotte hub. 

Now, that route has been shifted to Miami, with service on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

The flights are being operated seasonally by Envoy on Embraer E175 aircraft. 

“We are thrilled to continue growing Miami’s connectivity to the Caribbean with the launch of our fifth destination in the Dominican Republic,” said Juan Carlos Liscano, Vice President of MIA Hub Operations at American Airlines. “As we continue with our recovery, demand for travel to the Caribbean has remained strong, resulting in additional growth with new destinations like Anguilla, Dominica, and now Samaná, a hidden gem in the Caribbean.”

The flight takes just under 2.5 hours, according to the carrier. 

American currently operates 76 daily flights to 35 destinations in the Caribbean out of Miami. 

That includes 12 daily flights from Miami to the Dominican Republic.