The issue of air access and timely air transport services is critical for St Kitts and Nevis. The increasing number of visitors who are attracted to the destination, the expansion of the tourism industry and ancillary services, and the increasing importance of tourism to the social and economic development of the island, demand a reliable air transport service.

The Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) places a high premium on airlift as transportation is critical for economic growth and transformation. The SIDF has partnered with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority to secure airlifts from the UK and North America. Since 2009, the Foundation has contributed EC$3,780,000 annually to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s Marketing Fund to ensure our UK source market is serviced by British Airways. Additionally, in 2010 the SIDF provided assistance totaling EC$4,320,000 to ensure that the American Airlines service from our main US markets, Miami and New York, continued without interruption.

The economic impact of this project has been significant, particularly in relation to airlifts from the US and UK market. Despite the global economic downturn , partly because of the subsidy, airlift to the Federation has not been affected despite closing of operation in some markets for some major airlines passengers.

Easy access to the country is critical for efficient delivery of services. Therefore, the SIDF has committed to providing necessary airlift support in order to leverage the attractiveness of the destination to investors, tourists, off-shore students and residents.