American Airlines yesterday restarted flights from its Miami hub to three Bahamian destinations, and plans to resume service to Nassau and Marsh Harbour before month's end despite their lockdowns.

Eleuthera, Freeport, and George Town were the trip to welcome American Airlines flights yesterday, with the carrier planning to service each of these destinations give times per week.

American Airlines added in a statement that it will start its once weekly flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, into George Town tomorrow, as well as resuming service from Miami to Marsh Harbour. It added that flights to Nassau will restart later in October among 300 routes it will operate to 23 Caribbean countries during the month.

The carrier's return will provide a boost for efforts to jump-start the Bahamian tourism industry with effect from November 1, when the 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement for all visitors will be eliminated. American Airlines remains in talks with the Government about offering pre-flight COVID-19 testing to all travellers heading to The Bahamas.

“As we continue with the steady resumption of our operations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, our teams throughout the region have been focused on providing our customers with a safe and seamless travel experience,” said Jose Freig, American’s managing director of operations for the Caribbean and Latin America.

“Through efforts that include our Clean Commitment, and soon, preflight COVID-19 testing in some markets, we hope to restore confidence in the safety of air travel.”