A full Southwest Airlines flight touched down in Nassau from Ft. Lauderdale for the first time Sunday, bringing with a boost in air arrivals and the hope that the airline would consider servicing other Family Islands.

The flight carrying 140 people arrived around 12:30 p.m. and passengers were welcomed by tourism officials and the media.

It is the first international flight of Southwest Airlines, officials said.

From Fort Lauderdale, the daily flight is expected to leave at 11: 30 a.m. for arrival in Nassau at 12:30 p.m. according to Southwest.

Returning, it will depart Nassau at 2:35 p.m. for arrival in Fort Lauderdale at 3:35 p.m.

Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said the idea for the flight came about four years ago.

He added that this flight is significant for The Bahamas.

“It represents history; it represents The Bahamas again making that important step to cause for further growth in the Florida market,” he said.

“We understand the importance of it. It is what we call the low hanging fruit and if we want to grow our tourism industry or our numbers, we want to cause for more connectivity out of the Florida market. And so, you helping us is very important. We know that we have a future with you and we want to introduce you to other markets in The Bahamas such as Grand Bahama. We want to show you that throughout The Bahamas there are gates and we are seeing growth in islands such as Exuma, Abaco and Bimini.

“As you see and realize that we have a wonderful team, wonderful partnerships with the Promotion Board that we have Bahamians that are committed to service and improving upon the service that you understand why we believe that it is truly better in The Bahamas.”

A one-way ticket from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau can cost only $58, according to Southwest officials.

The new flight is not only a Ft. Lauderdale- based flight but serves as a connecting flight from different cities throughout the US.

Southwest’s Vice President of Ground Operations Steve Goldberg also spoke about other benefits of flying with Southwest.

“You are going to experience things that Southwest is known for – low fares and bags fly free. It’s not about nickeling and diming our customers but it’s about providing great service at a great fare,” he said.

“If you decide to extend your stay somewhere, we won’t charge you a change fee. We try to make flying simply and easy for our customers. We are excited about it like you are. We can’t wait to bring as many people here as possible.”