By Joey Gerardi
Cayman Airways to Add New LAX Service
As the world rebounds from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Cayman Islands-based Cayman Airways has announced the intentions to fly nonstop from the Cayman capital of Grand Cayman to LAX located on the west coast of the United States. This is a notable accomplishment as the route will be the only nonstop flight from the U.S. West Coast to the Cayman Islands.
The furthest flights west in the United States from the Caribbean currently are Nassau in the Bahamas to Denver, which is served by United seasonally, and Denver to Grand Cayman which is flown by Cayman Airways.
Many airlines have tried service from the Caribbean to the West Coast but none lasted, the most recent attempt was Alaska Airlines and their short-lived LAX-Havana, Cuba flight which ended in January of 2018 after less than a year of service.
The 737 MAX has been a benefit to the Cayman fleet and it helped the carrier launch their two longest routes from the carrier’s island home to Denver and now Los Angeles.
A Cayman Airways 737-300 in Grand Cayman (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Justin Sinanan)
The start date for the new service to LAX will be Nov. 5, 2022, but it is still unknown what the frequency of the route will be. Denver is served once per week by the carrier.
Cayman Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan did have something to say about the new route in a press briefing that was posted on Cayman news website Cayman Compass; “While the flight itself might not bring much profitability for the national flag carrier, the knock-on financial implications on the stayover tourism industry made it extremely worthwhile.” This will be the carrier’s big feather in its cap as the only airline operating regular West Coast to Caribbean service.
Editor’s Note: This article will be updated as more information becomes available on the new route.
Joe has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit. He’s currently enrolled at Western Michigan University earning a degree in Aviation Management and Operations.
