Western Air Bahamas (WU, Nassau International) has opened a secondary base at Freeport International Grand Bahama International Airport ahead of plans to expand into the international market.
Founded in 2001 by husband and wife team, Rex and Shandrice Rolle, Western Air currently offers regular passenger flights from its Nassau International primary hub to the Bahamian towns of Bimini International, Congo Town, Freeport, and San Andros using seven Saab 340As. It also offers corporate and tourist charters throughout the Bahamas, the Caribbean, including Haiti and Cuba, as well as South America.
Speaking to Tourism Observer magazine, Vice President of Operations and General Counsel, Sherrexcia Rolle, said that with the addition of the Freeport base, Western Air would be looking to open new scheduled routes to Haiti, Jamaica, the Turks & Caicos Islands, and eventually Fort Lauderdale International and West Palm Beach International, Florida.
In addition, the airline has also taken over Air Jamaica (Kingston Norman Manley) routes to Nassau in addition to being granted a charter licence by the Jamaican Government and the Jamaican Civil Aviation Authority to operate daily flights from Nassau to each of Kingston Norman Manley and Montego Bay although initial services will only operate 2x weekly.
Western Air has also secured a contract with Blue Bahamas Crossing (BCB) to run a 3x weekly return service to Havana International, Cuba.
To cater to its growth, Western Air will also open a new USD4 million terminal to house its corporate office and maintenance facility, Rolle said.
