Air travel to Bimini expanding

Travelers are getting more options to get from South Florida to Bimini.

Resorts World Bimini, a 750-acre resort owned by Malaysian casino company Genting Group, is adding more seaplane trips to its daily schedule.

“Our guests want to spend more of their vacation enjoying our beautiful resort and less time spent in transit,” said Ed Farrell, President of RWB.

The company is partnering with Cape Air to increase daily seaplane flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Bimini five times a day, from twice daily. Cape Air also runs flights to Bimini out of Watson Island Seaplane Base in Miami.

Silver Airways also has expanded service from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, flying once a day. Previously, it operated three times a week.

Both airlines share codes with major U.S. carriers, so travelers can book flights and check their baggage from their home airports.

The increase in commercial air travel means there may be as many as 500 more people going to the island per day. It takes about 20 minutes to get to Bimini via plane, a faster alternative than the three-hour ferry ride. Bimini is about 50 miles east of Miami.

Ferry service to the island is also expected to change. The SuperFast, which has operated three days a week from PortMiami, will stop Jan. 10. A new service under a new operator will begin later this spring, according to Michael Levoff, senior vice president of public affairs for Genting Americas.

“Some people like to take the sea route,” he said Thursday afternoon. “We want to make sure that is available for them.”

Genting plans to open a 300-room hotel in Bimini later this year.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Air travel to Bimini expanding."