By Alexander Britell



Puerto Rico says it’s in the midst of a tourism boom, and another carrier is set to launch new daily nonstop flights to the island.

Beginning Nov. 14, Frontier will be operating a new daily flight between Newark Liberty International Airport and the Luis Muñoz Marín in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The revamped Caribe Hilton in San Juan.

The new route is the latest in what has been a veritable airlift boom in Puerto Rico, which has been seeing surging air arrival numbers according to the latest data from ASUR, which operates Puerto Rico’s two biggest airports.

Indeed, Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, one of the largest hubs in the wider Caribbean region, is seeing an 11.2 percent jump in passenger traffic for the year.

That’s been accompanied by continued record-breaking growth for Aguadilla’s airport, the primary gateway for Puerto Rico’s western tourism destinations like Rincon.

Rincon, Puerto Rico.

The new daily nonstop route is part of a broader Caribbean expansion for Frontier in Newark; in the spring 2020, the carrier will be launching new routes from Newark to both Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Cancun on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

“Frontier is the most fuel-efficient airline in the U.S., offering passengers both the most affordable and sustainable approach to flying,” said Barry Biffle, President and CEO of Frontier Airlines.

More and more carriers continue to ramp up their flight service to Puerto Rico.

In December, American Airlines will be launching an expansion to San Juan from Dallas.

The same month, Spirit Airlines will begin operating new daily nonstop flights to San Juan out of both Newark and Boston Logan (both will launch on Dec. 19)

“Puerto Rico is on a path towards a record-breaking year for tourism, with growing visitor arrivals and airlift globally,” Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization , said in a statement. “In addition to world-class beaches, the Island boasts an impressive variety of natural offerings including three of the world’s five bioluminescent bays, the only rainforest in the U.S. forest system, El Yunque, and a standout farm-to-table movement, which has evolved into a variety of agri-tourism experiences for travelers to enjoy.”

That’s borne out in the numbers including a 19 percent increase in average hotel rates compared to the island’s previous high in 2017, and a 11.2 percent jump in total lodging revenue in Puerto Rico from its previous pre-Maria high in 2017.