Barbados welcomes return of Delta Airlines

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

Barbados says it expects its tourism sector to receive a boost of 25,000 seats for the 2024/2025 winter season after Delta Air Lines announced it was returning to the island with scheduled flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airports.

Tourism and International Transport Minister, Ian Gooding-Edghill, told a news conference that over the past few months, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) had been engaged in a consistent and aggressive strategy of increasing and improving airline connections with the rest of the world.

“I am delighted to announce a further boost in our rewarding air traffic efforts with the announcement that well-known and highly credible major North American airline, Delta Air Lines, will be resuming service to Barbados,” Gooding-Edghill said.

“Effective November 23, this year, Delta will once again be flying to Barbados, after its last touchdown at the Grantley Adams International Airport in 2016 from New York, and 2017 from Atlanta.”

He said that Delta will provide a seven-day-a-week service from Atlanta, Georgia, and provide once weekly services on Saturdays from New York, commencing December 21 of this year.

“This Delta service, which at first will be seasonal, has the potential to grow into a more year-round service,” Gooding-Edghill said, adding that the resumption of services by Delta speaks to the airline’s confidence in Barbados and will strengthen the island’s ability to leverage connections with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a hub, providing easy connections with the south and midwest, United States.

“Furthermore, the Delta service provides Barbados as a destination and brand with the unique opportunity to tap into and expose the unique attractiveness of Barbados to the 100 million plus SkyMiles passenger membership loyalty programme.

“The resumption of this Delta service is evidence of the success of our ongoing programme to grow the United States market, through strategic expansion of gateways in critical points to build seamless connectivity with Barbados for travellers from accessible gateways in the improving United States market,” he added.

The CEO at the Grantley Adams International Airport, Hadley Bourne, said with the addition of Delta Air Lines, the airport is working on building capacity to accommodate the increase in aircraft and passengers.

CMC