Sun Country Airlines begins service from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Roatan

The Honduran Airport Infrastructure and Services Company (EHISA) announced that on Friday, December 18, direct flights will begin between the island of Roatan and the state of Minneapolis, United States. It was reported that the airline Sun Country Airlines will be in charge of direct flights between these destinations. Sun Country Airlines is an American airline that was founded in 1982 based at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The airline operates within the United States, in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.

- Google translated from Proceso Digital

air panama: san josé to roatan starting in november

An alliance between Air Panama and the Honduras’ Tourism Board will allow Costa Ricans to travel from San José to Roatán in Honduras with just one stop in Panama. This possibility will be available with two flights a week, Thursdays and Sundays during high season, starting November 15 and extending through February 28, 2017. “The two times a week frecuency allows the Costa Rican public to buy packages of three, four or seven nights and get to know this destination during the summer time”, said Maru Gálvez, Strategy Manager at Air Panama.

- The Costa Rica Star

Obviously, the same flight will serve passengers from Panama City's Tocumen International Airport (PTY) as well.

air transat: quebec city to roatan starting in december

There’s another new way to get to the Caribbean island of Roatan. Canadian tour operator Transat, has announced plans to add direct flights from Quebec City to Roatan beginning in December. That’s in addition to Spirit’s existing flights from Montreal and Toronto to Roatan. Transat Tours and Sunwing Vacations already offer flights to Honduras from major Canadian cities, having sold an estimated 15,000 packages to Honduras.

- Caribbean Journal 

air transat rocks into roatan

Air Transat commenced services between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Roatan (RTB) in Honduras on 23 November. The 3,115-kilometre sector will operate weekly on Mondays, with the carrier using its 737-800s on the airport pair. The route will face no direct competition. Operating as a seasonal service, it will run until 25 April. Air Transat also serves Roatan from Montreal.

- Anna Aero

roatan's efficient airport

Roatán's Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport ranks 14 in the world for on-time departures, a very important indicator of efficiency in the aviation industry in the country, according to a study published by Flight View in May this year. As a result of the delivery of real-time flight information in Honduras, Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport appears with 85.7% efficiency in on-time departures of its total number of flights per month.

The study includes 860 airports worldwide. Importantly, the first 13 places in this ranking are occupied by European airports, the Honduran airport being the first in the Americas to excel in that category. Aeropuertos de Honduras executives highlighted the fact that the Roatan International Airport appears in the top 14 places in this table, since such recognition improves operational and marketing capabilities.

"Appearing in this global ranking is a recognition of the efforts of Aeropuertos de Honduras in the availability of resources and infrastructure; additionally it is evidence of planning, organization and coordination between Roatan airport and various operational managers,” said Shanna Ebanks, airport manager.

- translated from Diario La Prensa [en español] 

landing in paradise

A special guest shared this interesting series of photos of her arrival flight's approach to Roatan's international airport (airport code RTB). The first two images after the map give a bird's eye view of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the MBRS). This world-famous reef rings the entirety of our 30-mile-long island, along with multiple adjacent sister islands and cays that together comprise the enchanting Bay Islands of Honduras. Having its "official" genesis in the crystal-clear Caribbean depths north of Cancún; continuing spectacularly southward through Mexican, Belizean and Guatemalan waters; cutting sharply eastward and thoroughly embracing the Bay Islands archipelago; and then gently ending in the shallow waters of the fishing banks near the Honduro-Nicaraguan sea border, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is the second largest, more-or-less continuous, tropical reef structure on the planet.

 The last photo shows the "waterfront skyline" of charming Coxen Hole (yes, it is twistedly pronounced cocks-in-hole!), Roatan's main town.

Photo credits: Odeta Vaitkunas

aa + rtb

American Airlines begins non-stop Saturday service to Roatan from its Miami, FL hub this Saturday, 17 November. In establishing this new flight to Roatan, American joins major U.S. carriers Delta and United in offering scheduled jet service to my island's international airport (airport code RTB) from their southernmost U.S. gateways (Delta from Atlanta's ATL; United from Houston's IAH; and - now - American from MIA).

Considering how much MBA brain power, sanity-compromising marathon meetings, long-term strategic considerations, number crunching, and market intelligence go into these "new destination" decisions, the establishment of this new route by American Airlines represents a tremendous vote of confidence by this colossal American air transportation company, recognizing Roatan's potential as an increasingly attractive, upwardly trending Caribbean vacation destination.

At 30 miles long, Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, an archipelago consisting of three major islands, three minor islands, and a multitude of cays that swim in the Western Caribbean Sea 40 miles off the North Coast of mainland Honduras. Roatan is a beautiful, rugged, jungle-covered, reef-fringed, tropical island that constantly awes both visitors and residents alike with its dramatic beauty.

Roatan and the Bay Islands are politically part of the Central American Republic of Honduras. Caught up in geopolitical circumstances beyond its control (circumstances being imposed by the powerful external actors with deep pocket and ruthless agendas), an observer looking in from the outside could reasonably conclude that mainland Honduras has -- for all practical purposes -- become a narco state in all but official label. For Honduran citizens finding themselves suddenly living in this unorthodox model of "state," it's very unnerving to consider the surreal consequences this new reality may entail.

Fortunately, the 40 miles of Caribbean Sea that separate the Bay Islands from the mainland act as both a physical and cultural barrier that results in the islands being markedly distinct from the mainland, and much more typically Caribbean. That is, the islands tend to be peaceful, low key, easy-going, considerably safer, and relaxed. Those deep, benevolent miles of Caribbean water that separate us from the complex and heartbreaking troubles our fellow countrymen face on the continent make a world of difference. While legally one unit, the Bay Islands and mainland Honduras are in many other ways distinctly separate entities.

Welcome to Roatan, American Airlines! Don't be surprised if -- like many before you -- you fall in love with this prodigiously beautiful, adorably quirky, surprisingly diverse, exasperatingly third-worldy, charmingly authentic, addictively sultry, Caribbean+Latin paradise. You won't be the first to succumb to the sweet, delicious "island spell" innocently weaved and cast by Roatan's warm, genuine, open-hearted people.

Best wishes, AA.