Direct flights to the Caribbean could be coming to RSW

You can get to a lot of places from Southwest Florida International Airport. The airport is already undergoing renovations to expand, and now, a new movement is taking off to expand offerings into the Caribbean.

The group behind it wants your help to make it happen.

If you’re looking for two tickets to paradise, direct flights to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico from Fort Myers may soon be an option.

“We had flights to the DR, to Puerto Rico a few years ago before COVID and COVID came. So now we’re coming back very strongly. So we are reinitiating our efforts, and we’re working with our community and HABA,” said Carol Obermeier, director of air service development at RSW.

HABA is the Hispanic American Business Alliance. The president of that group assured WINK News that this time around, things would be different.

“We started the first flight about 10 years ago to Puerto Rico. Since then, the population has doubled,” said Leonardo Garcia, president of HABA. “We need to show the airlines that, yes, it’s going to be good for them. People are ready.”

He is right; people are ready. “I have to take a day off from work to pick up my parents. My parents travel here three, four times a year. They are retired. So for us, it would be a great convenience not having to travel two and a half hours each way,” said Sunelly Munoz.

Two and a half hours to Tampa or Miami’s airports. As Obermeier explains, RSW is not the only airport competing for these routes. “There are other markets too, that are vying for these other aircraft,”

That’s why HABA is asking people to send an email showing their support. The more people who express their interest, the better the odds it will happen.

“Leonardo put the word out. Tuesday, I’ve had at least 100 emails. So that’s great news,” said Obermeier.

If you would like to voice your support for the routes, you can email l.garciahaba@gmail.com.