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Direct travel to neighboring countries will soon become a reality. Early next month Maya will be launching direct flights to Cancun, San Pedro Sula and Guatemala City. The airline is entering new territory and will be using ATR seventy-twos. Jose Sanchez has a report of what this means for the tourism industry.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Maya Island Air has been soaring above Belize for forty-nine years and now they are boldly taking another leap. The airline is going regional. Beginning next month, Maya will be making direct flights to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
Louis Zabaneh, C.E.O., Maya Island Air Regional
“We are very honored to be expanding our service regionally, as of July eighth with the Maya Island Air Regional.”
Jose Sanchez
“What is the Maya Island Air Regional?”
Louis Zabaneh
“We will be using the very renowned ATR 72s. These are naturally made for seventy-two passengers. We have taken out one of the rows of the aircraft to increase comfort and safety. We'll be flying to Cancun twice a day, to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, once a day, and to Guatemala City, once a day.”
Not only does the C.E.O. for Maya Island Air says their flights are affordable, he says that they have bought and outfitted three ATR 72's to provide a comfortable flight
Louis Zabaneh
“The pricing is very competitive. We have priced to match what the other people are doing.”
Jose Sanchez
“You mentioned taking out entire rows, is it 72 seats before or after?”
Louis Zabaneh
“When we take out the row, it's sixty-eight passengers. So, you have increased about two or three inches between the seats, and that makes a difference. Although, our flights will be relatively short, the flight to Cancun will be about fifty minutes, to San Pedro Sula about forty minutes, and to Guatemala, about fifty minutes as well. As you know for the past fifteen to twenty years this whole Mundo Maya concept has been heralded around the region. But, in fact, the last key component was never put in place, which is the connections; the air connections between these countries. So, we feel that with what we're doing now, Mundo Maya can really come to life.”
It will take just a few minutes for travelers to book their flights online at www.mayaislandair.com.
Louis Zabaneh
“We will have an interface that is similar to any of the international airlines. You go on and you are able to book a flight; you pick a place you are departing from and where you are going to fly to. And then the next step after that it will prompt you to determine if you are going to be doing one way or round trip. And then it will give you the pricing for that and then you can go ahead and pay for that ticket.”
Jose Sanchez
“How fast can you do this?”
Louis Zabaneh
“I would say two or three minutes it should e completed if you're comfortable with the computer. It shouldn't take more than five minutes.”
And for the entire month of July, Maya is offering a discount package for the service it hopes will take Belizeans to new destinations and at the same time, attract tourist dollars for the jewel. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Zabaneh says that the inauguration of the flights at the Phillip Goldson International Airport will be held on July eighth. The company will fly in delegations from Cancun, San Pedro Sula, and Guatemala City on the first flight.
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