Plane wet leased for holidays

The service – which will provide an additional 1200 seats daily via four round trips between Crown Point and Piarco – will run from July 15 to September 15. The initiative is estimated to cost the Government some $2 million, according to Neil Wilson, Secretary of Tourism/Transportation/Enterprise Development/Settlements at the THA. Wilson said that while some 50,000 visitors normally visit the island during the period, it is projected that this figure will increase by 10,000 this year in light of the increased promotional thrust on the local market.

The Boeing 737 has a capacity for 150 passengers, and, together with the sea bridge, this means there will be some 4,500 seats in and out of Tobago daily, once the fast ferry, The Lynx makes two trips daily, he explained.

Wilson further explained that under the wet lease arrangement the Boeing 737 will be based at Crown Point airport, and extra flights would be put on should the need arise.

According to Wilson, the daily schedule for the new service is as follows: 7.45 am, 9.45 am, 4.45 pm, 8 pm - from Tobago; and from Piarco: 8.45 am, 12 noon, 6 pm and 9 pm.