A new all-business class airline called BermudAir, which promises window seats for everyone who buys a ticket, announced Thursday it intends to start six-day-a-week service to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Sept. 22.

Headquartered in Bermuda, the airline bills itself as a “boutique” carrier and plans to operate Embraer-175 jetliners, which normally seat up to 88 passengers. But in a twist unseen by most travelers who fly regularly scheduled airlines, management is selling only half of those seats, and eventually will create a so-called “aisle class” service where a maximum of 30 travelers will be seated in their own suites that contain storage space for carry-on baggage.

Introductory fares will cost $199 one-way for a two-hour flight. But once the carrier refits its aircraft and settles into its routine, a fare will go to $999 one-way, said CEO and founder Adam Scott. The airline is, after all, a “boutique” carrier designed to cater to individual needs of wealthy passengers.

“We are excited to launch BermudAir as Bermuda’s first carrier, maintaining our commitment to start filling seasonal service gaps and establish frequency of service to and from the island this fall,” he said in a statement. “Our mission to elevate the travel experience for everyone and provide well-timed, traveler-centric, stress-free flights on these new routes is just the beginning.”

“It’s a unique offering for a unique place and the demand is there,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in an interview from Bermuda. “We’re targeting anybody and everybody for whom time is of value.”

Scott said the airline has two planes in operation with a possible goal of building a six-plane fleet. The company, though, harbors no ambitions of becoming a “giant airline.”

But it does intend to serve high-income individuals. Bermuda traditionally has been grouped in the minds of many travelers with a variety of other island destinations known as tourist havens. But the British Overseas Territory offers far more than that, Scott said. “It’s paradise, but real business happens there.”

The island is home to a wide array of banks, trust companies, investment businesses and funds, financial administrators, and insurance and reinsurance companies. There is also a Bermuda Stock Exchange. Financial professionals who have migrated to South Florida in recent years, Scott surmised, will likely be among the airline’s customers.

A gradual rollout

Initially, those passengers will be flying in planes with 88 seats, and the suite seating arrangement will not be immediately available. But the carrier will sell only 44 tickets for each flight “with both window and aisle access and plenty of space for carry-on bags.”

Flights will include free Wi-Fi and entertainment, and passengers will be permitted one complimentary checked bag.

The company said it expects its planes will be outfitted with their suite seating by Nov. 1. Going forward, each plane “will be configured with just 30 seats to feature unmatched privacy and ample workspace, with only two spacious seats (across) from each other in each row,” the statement said.

The cabins will be designed without overhead bins, allowing for quicker boarding and deplaning, the company said.

Getting there from here

Scott said the BermudAir flights will be the first direct service to the western Atlantic enclave from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.

In a statement, the Broward County Aviation Department said late Thursday it is working an agreement with the airline that will allow it to use the airport.

“The Broward County Aviation Department has been in talks with BermudAir officials for several months regarding plans to start nonstop service between Bermuda and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) later this year as part of their launch of U.S. operations,” the department said. “BCAD welcomes this new service and is currently working with BermudAir to finalize some terms of their FLL operating agreement, which we expect to complete in the coming weeks.”

Most travelers seeking to visit Bermuda generally have to fly via another U.S. city to reach the island.

The airline, which is based in Bermuda, was granted an operating certificate by the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority last month. It will fly out of L.F. Wade International Airport, which is near Hamilton, the territorial capital. According to the airport’s website, Bermuda is currently served by Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Westjet.

Besides Fort Lauderdale, BermudAir said it will also serve Westchester County Airport north of New York City, and Logan International Airport in Boston.