Delta Air Lines announced Friday it will begin service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Aruba and St. Maarten in the Caribbean this December, adding more leisure travel options for Minnesotans looking to escape the winter cold.

The Atlanta-based airline is also increasing its service from MSP to Grand Cayman and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"As the leading carrier from MSP to Latin America and the Caribbean, we're looking forward to increasing our seats to these popular destinations, offering unmatched convenience and expanded choices for our customers," Joe Esposito, Delta's senior vice president for network planning, said in a statement. "With the addition of Aruba, St. Maarten and recently added Mazatlán, customers have three brand-new sunny destinations to look forward to this winter."

The move by Delta increases competition for seasonal travel options from MSP. In 2017, Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines began nonstop service from MSP to Aruba, and this year Sun Country resumed its nonstop service from MSP to St. Maarten after a lull of seven years.

Delta's new flights to Aruba will operate on Fridays and Sundays while flights to St. Maarten will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays. The airline is also adding a weekly flight to Grand Cayman and two more weekly trips to San Juan.

In the last year, Delta has added nonstop service from MSP to Dublin and Turks and Caicos.

Brian Ryks — chief executive of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP — said in a statement the continued surge in international travel has been a key trend for the airport in recent years.

"With the addition of these new flights, Upper Midwest travelers now have their largest-ever range of options to Latin America and the Caribbean," Ryks said regarding Delta's increased service. "It's a great time to start planning that winter escape."