VIPA Reduces Fly The Whale Fees To/From San Juan

Fly The Whale’s departure and landing fees were slashed to and from San Juan. (Screenshot of Zoom meeting)

The Virgin Islands Port Authority’s Board of Governors approved Wednesday a plan to slash almost all departure and landing fees for Fly The Whale’s route from St. Croix to San Juan.

Executive Director Carlton Dowe had recommended offering Underhill Holdings LLC, which does business as Fly The Whale airline, incentives, including a 50 percent reduction of departure fees from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport when flying to San Juan’s Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport and a full exemption of landing fees when arriving on St. Croix from the Isla Grande airport.

Fly The Whale started the route March 15.

The incentive, discounting landing and operational fees, extends beyond Fly The Whale, Dowe said.

It applies to “any airline coming to the territory, or already in the territory but they have taken up a new route,” Dowe said. The St. Croix-Puerto Rico route gives flexibility to travelers, he said. “It’s a good thing for the territory.”

The board quickly, unanimously approved the measure.