Silver Airways receives a water canon salute at MIA (left); Eurowings’ inaugural flight arrives at MIA (right).
MIAmamas program is one of the largest in the U.S. for nursing moms.
MIAMI – On the heels of National Breastfeeding Month, Miami International Airport unveiled a comprehensive program for nursing and pumping mothers. The MIA program includes eight custom-branded MIAmamas (pronounced “mia mamas”) nursing suites located on each of MIA’s concourses, with two in Concourse D and one in the Concourse E Satellite facility. Passengers can locate the new suites via MIA’s free mobile app, MIA Airport Official.
“Nursing moms are free to feed or pump anywhere at MIA, but these suites now give them an option that is private and peaceful,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. “We’ve made it our goal to provide our passengers with the latest, most customer-friendly services available, and the MIAmamas nursing suites are the latest way that we are accomplishing that goal.”
Manufactured by Vermont-based Mamava, the MIAmamas suites are self-contained, mobile units with two comfortable benches, a fold-down table, an electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump, and a door that can be locked for privacy. The 4-foot-by-8-foot suites are meant for individual use, but can fit mothers with luggage, other children or a travel companion. Interior surfaces of the lactation suites are made of food-service-grade Fiberglass and Corian.
After a press conference by MIA and Mamava officials to announce the program, event attendees were able to view the interior of a nursing suite. MIA has also launched an airport-wide employee awareness campaign for the MIAmamas program.
“MIA has become a role model for other airports with this comprehensive initiative, and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate with them,” said Mamava Co-founder and CEO Sascha Mayer. "This program speaks volumes of their commitment to support their nursing travelers and customers, ensuring that moms – anywhere in the airport – have a dignified space in which to pump or nurse. I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up National Breastfeeding Month!”
MIA kicks off September with three new routes in one day
Miami International Airport got off to a fast start in the month of September when it welcomed three new international routes on September 1: Bimini, Bahamas, by Ft. Lauderdale-based Silver Airways; Cologne, Germany, with three weekly flights by Eurowings; and new non-stop service to Paramaribo, Suriname, by Surinam Airways.
Silver Airways now provides MIA’s first service to Bimini, with four weekly flights; Cologne becomes MIA’s fifth route to Germany, joining Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich; and Surinam Airways’ weekly flight from Paramaribo is the airline’s only non-stop service to the U.S. MIA will add two more airlines before the end of September: Scandinavian Airlines launches three weekly flights to Copenhagen, Denmark, and four weekly flights to Oslo, Norway on September 28; followed by Dominican Wings beginning one weekly flight to both Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on September 29.
The four new airlines in September will add to MIA’s current total of 103 passenger and cargo carriers – the most of any U.S. airport. Before the year is done, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will return to MIA with three weekly flights to Amsterdam in October, and Italian airline Meridiana will launch into the Miami market with two weekly flights to Milan in December.
“We proudly welcome Silver Airways and Eurowings to MIA, and we applaud Surinam Airways for strengthening their presence in Miami with new non-stop service,” said Emilio T. Gonzalez. “With six new airlines launching service in the last four months of the year, and with the busy winter travel season approaching, we are looking forward to another record year at MIA. Equally important is that the majority of our new service is beyond our stronghold region of the Americas, including first-ever service to Cologne, Oslo and Copenhagen.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
