(CMR) Cayman Airways Limited has introduced another Caribbean route to its itinerary, this time heading east to Barbados. Flights are expected to start on 18 October 2023, with two flights weekly.
Minister of Tourism and Ports Kenneth Bryan described the launch of the new route as a significant departure from the norm for Cayman Airways.
This is the first time that scheduled service is being offered to a destination in the Eastern Caribbean.
Mr. Bryan said this new service to Barbados is a game changer for connectivity as it will make it possible to travel from one side of the Caribbean to the other on the same day without going through Miami. He said it will also give Cayman more access to the European market.
“The vision is to expand the airline's connectivity to key locations situated to the north, south, east, and west of our islands, and we have been working hard to achieve that objectivity,” Bryan said.
This new route is being introduced just weeks after the route between the Cayman Islands and Panama was reopened and after CAL introduced nonstop service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last year.
The tourism minister said this new route will also “deliver a faster and cheaper alternative for traveling between the Cayman Islands and Barbados than any other currently existing route on the market,”
Bryan further explained, ” From a strategic standpoint, the Cayman/Barbados route will deliver several key benefits that will help to improve our competitive advantage; for example, this will allow visitors from several currently underserved European markets such as Germany and Finland to access the Cayman Islands more directly.”
“It will expand our islands' reach within the United Kingdom by adding connectivity from major airports in addition to the current BA service from London, Heathrow,” he continued.
Bryan said this route is expected to positively impact tourism in the Cayman Islands, increasing the number of passengers to the Cayman Islands and increasing revenue for Cayman Airways.
Meantime, the Minister of Tourism in Barbados, Ian Gooding-Edghill, said this new route will allow Barbados to be used as a hub connection for the Eastern Caribbean.
Dr. John-Paul Clarke, chairman of the Cayman Airways board, explained that the partnership with Barbados provides a new place for Caymanians to visit and will help to mitigate the risks associated with a new midweek flight to Los Angeles.
CEO of CAL Fabian Whorms said the airline expects everything in place by August for tickets to go on sale; however, he explained that the present schedule is a draft, and the start date is tentative and subject to change. He also explained that flight times are still being tweaked.
However, based on current plans, Whorms said a flight will leave the Cayman Islands at 7 am each Wednesday to arrive at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados at 11:10 am. The return flight will leave Barbados at 12:25 ECT and return at 2:45 pm local time. That flight will then connect with the second Los Angeles flight that is being introduced. The Los Angeles flight will leave Cayman at 3:45 pm and arrive in Los Angeles at 7:45 pm.
The aircraft will leave Los Angeles at 11:30 pm and arrive in Grand Cayman at 7 am Thursday morning in time for the second Barbados flight, which leaves at 10 am and arrive in Barbados at 2:10 ECT. It will spend some time to facilitate connections with other carriers, such as Virgin, and depart at 4:50 pm to arrive in Cayman at 7:10 pm.
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