Fly The Whale, an airline that offers routes to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, began round-trip flights Monday morning. The western route to Block Island is its first foray into regular service in the Northeast.

The company is based in New Haven, and its management saw an opportunity in the current construction boom on Block Island.

“We’ve kept an eye on this market and watched it for a while,” said David Ziemer, chief operating officer. “Block Island has grown. There’s a lot of work going on there, there’s a lot of construction, a lot of tradespeople coming and going.

FTW operated additional flights for another tenant, New England Airlines, which also offers scheduled service to and from the island.

“We are simply looking for niche markets that suit our organization and our business plan. It’s one of those short-haul markets,” Ziemer said.

Founded in 2009, Fly The Whale offers on-demand aircraft charter services in the Northeast, Florida and the Bahamas. Its scheduled service between St. Croix and St. Thomas began in April 2023. A year later, in March, it launched scheduled service between St. Croix and San Juan Airport, Isla Grande.

Its home port is Tweed New Haven Airport, Connecticut.

Flights depart from the West at 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; departures from the island to Westerly take place half an hour later than scheduled. Total time in the air is about 10 minutes, making it an extremely short hop of about 15 minutes total from boarding to disembarking.

“It’s an easier ride, which is why I think tradespeople prefer to rely on it, because it takes a lot longer to take the ferries,” Ziemer said. “There, you try to save as much time as possible in your working day. Plus, it takes a lot of work out of you, especially if it’s difficult.

The plane used is a Cessna Caravan, part of a fleet of several planes the company owns, including seaplanes and a few private jets.

The director of operations, Eric Christiansen, is a pilot and the company also has a few other pilots who commute from New Haven.

“And we are currently in the process of hiring a full-time pilot who is located here in Westerly,” Ziemer said. “This will increase as the timeline lengthens.”

Christiansen said the plane could accommodate up to six passengers and was “a comfortable trip.” Another trailer the company plans to use soon will accommodate up to nine passengers, he said.

Fares start at $77 each way, with discounts for children and seniors.

Ziemer said the company hopes to begin offering weekend service, probably next spring or summer, as demand increases. It is now set up to provide a shuttle option for merchants.

“But it’s also for everyone who needs to come to the continent for a day to do what they need to do,” Ziemer said.

The airline offers frequent travel pass programs, including WhalePass for individuals and WhalePak for businesses and families. In addition, it will offer counter-to-counter freight transportation services.

“There are several options for booking online, or people can walk in or call reservations,” Ziemer said.

Westerly Airport lists 33 private aircraft lessees, including FlightLevel Aviation, New England Airlines, an 8-passenger commuter airline serving Block Island, and Simmons Aviation, which offers banner towing, aerial tours, flights in vintage plane and flight training.

The airport is part of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

“FlightLevel and NEA have been wonderful, both airports have been wonderful,” Ziemer said. “The RIAC has been very supportive of us. Everyone was very supportive to help us.