United Airlines will begin flying nonstop from Newark Liberty International Airport to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on Saturday, October 31, giving St. Croix a direct link to the New York metropolitan area.
The carrier will run the route once weekly on Saturdays using a Boeing 737-700 with roughly 126 seats. Port Authority leadership called the connection a boost for the territory, offering residents and visitors easier access to one of the nation's busiest airline hubs.
Yet the expansion sparked debate at the Port Authority's governing board meeting on Wednesday. Board member Celestino White raised a pointed question: would more flights matter if passengers could not afford tickets? "Although we get more airlift, we still don't get passengers. I'm saying it's a killing," he said.
Tourism Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King, who sits on the Port Authority board, acknowledged the worry but pushed back on the idea that officials could control fares. She pointed to global pressures driving up costs. "There are a number of geopolitical things that are happening, including the cost of fuel, that is skyrocketing the prices," she said.
The board voted to let the Port Authority's executive director work out a one-year lease with United for ticket counters, queuing areas and office space at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The airline will pay $2,436.10 per month, totalling roughly $29,233 annually, for the space.
In separate business, Port Authority officials reported that dredging in Charlotte Amalie Harbor will start the week before Thanksgiving. The project, managed by Orion Marine Construction Inc. under a contract worth up to $41,927,000, aims to deepen the harbor entrance, turning basin and West Indian Company berth pocket so larger ships can enter.
Work on environmental preparation has wrapped up, including moving coral, seagrass and a shipwreck out of the way. Equipment for the dredging operation is due to arrive shortly, according to Port Authority Director of Engineering Preston Beyer. The contract's 365-day period began October 12, though active dredging has not yet started.
Dredged material will go to different sites based on quality. Sand suitable for beaches will be sent to the former Addelita Cancryn Junior High School site in Crown Bay on St. Thomas. Other material will travel by boat to St. Croix, where it will be stored and dried at the Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier in Krause Lagoon before being trucked to a former quarry north of Henry E. Rohlsen Airport.
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