Jackson: Cancelled Flights Is ‘Unacceptable’
“Having cancelled airline flights to gateway cities from November to April/May is unacceptable,” Shadow Transport Minister Susan Jackson.
Ms. Jackson said, “Sold out seats on the few remaining flights will cause concern for students returning home for the holidays. Medical patients need direct flights to Boston area hospitals. These are priorities for government to take immediate action to increase airlift to gateway cities.
“Boston and New York are the biggest markets for business travel with professionals connecting through these gateway cities to Bermuda to conduct business. Prices for the few flights that are available are reaching close to $1,000 in some cases.
“There is a travel market of approximately 60,000 people on the island. Bermuda is affectionately referred to as the most travelled country per capita and the local traveling market is large enough for government officials to advocate for airlift based on this.
“Last year, the Transport Minister cited ‘low demand’ for the route cancellations following the pandemic, but this reasoning no longer applies as the world has opened up. The Transport and Tourism ministries and their partners have had ample time to negotiate direct services to these gateway cities.
“The government ministries should be condemned for not negotiating flights for local travel, and if necessary, financially supporting flights during these shoulder months. Government’s solution to fly through the Charlotte hub and make connecting flights to New York and Boston is ridiculous.
“We cannot expect students, seniors and medically vulnerable to make such a journey. So, we ask, what has been done in order to establish year-round direct air service to Boston?
“The One Bermuda Alliance continues to call for government to give the Bermuda Tourism Authority and its stakeholders, including the Bermuda Aviation Authority, the autonomy to work more closely with airline partners and negotiate direct flights for the local resident population, professionals and visitors ready to travel during the off-peak season.
“As cited almost a year ago by Opposition Leader, Cole Simons: ‘The PLP government had planted a seed for a ghost island this coming winter.’
“It looks like his words may ring true for yet another year.”
Update 12.26pm: The text above has been amended from Charlottesville to Charlotte.
What is the Charlottesville hub? Does she mean Charlotte?
Does she even know?
Connecting flights while inconvenient sometimes are not the end of the world. This posturing is ridiculous.
The Government is not solely responsible for the flights that are available to and from Bermuda, and Ms. Jackson should know this.
She should also know that flight schedules are based on demand and with lower demand in Bermuda as there is a lower bed count, that we are basically at the mercy of the airlines.
She should also know that this is not the first time (nor probably the last time) that schedules are cut somewhat during the winter. And guess what? We survived.
She really shouldn’t just put out whatever is placed before her.
Yes this is not the first time flights have been suspended – but this year the Bda – Phl flight (as an example) is being canceled before school is even out! When my son was in Uni in PHL, he at least could make it home before flights were canceled early Jan (was still an issue as school didn’t resume until the 10th!) We also had Delta running a service to Boston which hasn’t reappeared since Covid. As a person who travels for medical, I think it is horrible we will now have to take two flights to get to Boston. Surely they could have continued running once or twice per week? Winter travel is hard enough (with flight delays and cancellations so medical travel from Nov 1 is going to be very challenging for some
” I think it is horrible we will now have to take two flights to get to Boston.”
I think it’s horrible that we have a billion dollar hospital….and we still have to travel to Boston for medical care!
Because egomeir and his Muppets have no funds to subsidize the airlines.
Slowly or should I say vastly making it a 5th world country.
Wonder if he will be here to see how bad Bermuda really is or when CD beats him will he be in marthas.
Keep begging for voters that will never vote for you under a false party. Keep up the big lie.
How quickly we forget that the Minister for transport said that the orange route for ferry’s would have less voyages this past summer and the money saved would be to subsidize a direct flight to Boston during the winter months.
A flight through Charlotte to Boston costs $812 and uses the better part of day to get you there. A direct flight takes two hours.
Not having the Boston and Miami flight all the time is absurd.
Works in PLP favour if less flights, they can then argue about having to pay the airport minimum revenue guarantee.
They did not get rid of the T A long time ago so nobody to fill seats plus no beds for conventions and large groups
The minister of transport has stated there will be year round service to NewYork and Boston.
Imo, this minister has failed with getting more flights and was talking out of his mouth.
No year round flights to Boston is terrible for Bermuda residents.
Some of these cabinets ministers are incompetent and need to go.
There would have been more demand all through the Spring and Summer had we not had the stupid asinine TA form. As it is, Burt (for reasons we all know) kept the TA form going as long as possible.
Everywhere else had full flights, full hotels, and a busy tourist season.
It’s the biggest scandal in decades.
Maybe PLP could hire the travel agent lady who singlehandedly got flights running to and from the Azores!!! Clearly she has proven she has what it takes to get the flights we need.
Perhaps our minister of transport could ask her nicely for some much needed help.
The transport minister is more qualified than most of the cabinet ministers: after all, he was a gate agent for JetBlue so knows how to scan boarding cards.
While our island neighbors down south are picking up more airline routes and having an increase in airline visitors. This government is a joke.
Cayman Airways expanding their route network to LAX…clearly seeing growth opportunities..
An absolute FAILURE on the part of the Bermudian Gov’t !! Plain and simple….
Also an embarrassment and insult to the Bermudian people !!
But, keep voting the way we do…and this is what you get !!
It’s an absolute failure of the Bermudian electorate, who eagerly voted for a homophobic and xenophobic government.
There would have been more demand all through the Spring and Summer had we not had the stupid asinine TA form. As it is, Burt (for reasons we all know) kept the TA form going as long as possible.