JetBlue and American Airlines add flights to Barbados

Two United States airlines are adding additional flights to Barbados to meet demand

JetBlue and American Airlines add flights to Barbados

Two United States airlines - JetBlue Airways and American Airlines - are adding flights from several United States airports to Barbados, the Caribbean island country. The increased flights will increase tourism to a nation dependent on tourist traffic for its economy.

Additional United States flights to Barbados throughout the seasons

Both JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are spreading out the additional flights throughout the seasons.

American Airlines will use its Boeing 737s for three daily flights between Miami International Airport (MIA) to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) between August 15 and September 5, 2023. This will provide a few weeks of additional capacity; according to Cirium, it will add 344 seats both ways in a Boeing 737 MAX 8, alongside 688 seats in two round-trip Boeing 737-800 flights.

American Airlines is also adding seasonal connections from Charlotte, North Carolina, from December 21, 2023, until April 3, 2024, with a Boeing 737-800.

But JetBlue Airways, the other United States airline providing connection to Barbados, is extending its second flight from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to BGI via Airbus A320s. According to Cirium, the two round-trip flights provide 648 additional seats of capacity.

Barbados' response to increased United States connections

In TravelPluse.com, Eusi Skeete, US Director, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. was quoted as sharing the excitement of more flights to/from the United States:

“We’re extremely excited to expand the airlift servicing our US market for 2023 and going into 2024. We understand that demand for the destination is very high and we’ve been working closely with our longstanding airline partners to meet this demand. We are continuously identifying growth opportunities to expand airlift across the US market and are quite optimistic for the prospect of increased service, particularly as demand for travel to Barbados remains high.”

Furthermore, Barbados Tourism Marketing recently posted details of a “12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp” program allowing for a maximum of 12 months staying in Barbados to do remote work. This will allow teleworkers to come to Barbados to conduct remote work over the internet in a tropical environment legally for $2,000 per individual or $3,000 per family in a bundle.

In return, this will bring new revenue to the islands – and demand for flights back to the United States for both personal and business reasons for when the in-person touch is necessary.

About Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)

The airport was born in 1956 when a paved runway became perceived essential by the island's government, although this was some years after a 1939 KLM aircraft - likely a Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra - made the first Barbados landing on grass. Luckily the work got done before the age of Concorde when a British Airways Concorde would visit the airport on Saturdays. It is now preserved in a museum at the airport.

One should note that the terminal can handle 1,600 arriving and 1,600 departing passengers per hour at peak. Meanwhile, the runway is 11,000 feet long by 150 feet wide, so there is clearly ample capacity to handle additional Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s from the United States.

At present, the airport is also served by: