The new service route will allow stronger tourism ties and better interregional relationships.
Sunrise Airways launched a new nonstop route to Antigua and Barbuda from the island of Barbados as they sought to ensure stronger regional tourism ties within the Caribbean region. The nonstop route will be running every Wednesday and Sunday, providing consistent flights that can be used by tourists within the region.
The launch was celebrated with an inaugural flight in the new route, with the plane launching at V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua at 10:45 AM. Officials from Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and Sunrise Airways attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados after the inaugural flight landed in its destination an hour and twenty minutes later.
“… [This] launch is more than just the arrival of a new flight; it is a vital step forward in deepening the bonds that hold our Caribbean family together.” – Ian Gooding-Edghill, Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transportation.
Gary Stone, the CEO of Sunrise Airways, appeared during the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Sunrise Airways’ founder, Haitian pilot Philippe Bayard. Their company has a 21 airplane fleet that travels in the Caribbean as well as five cities in the United States of America.
“This inaugural flight represents our commitment to offering efficient, reliable, and affordable travel options to Barbadian and Antiguan travelers, delivered with great Caribbean service onboard,” Gary Stone, the CEO of Sunrise Airways, said.
A Larger Commitment for Tourism Across the Board.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was also attended by chief tourism officials across the two countries, including Minister of Tourism and International Transport of Barbados Ian Gooding-Edghill and Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and the Economy of Antigua and Barbuda Michael Freeland.
During the ceremony, Gooding-Edghill shared that over 102,000 visitors came from the Caribbean last year, an increase of 7.8% from the year before that and making the region the third largest source market. Their hopes that the new route would lead to a larger influx of tourists within both countries as well as the Caribbean region as a whole.
“Every new route expands opportunities for economic growth, cultural exchange, and personal connection,” Gooding-Edghill said. “Strong and reliable airlift is the foundation of a successful tourism industry fueling visitor arrivals, supporting business, enabling investment, and keeping families and friends connected across our islands.”
Sunrise Airways Expansion Plans
As for Sunrise Airways, they see the opening of this new route as the beginning of further expansion within the Caribbean region to foster more travel across the different countries in the area. They plan to open 23 new destinations across 15 different countries by the end of 2026.
“The arrival of Sunrise Airways to Barbados will strengthen commercial, tourism, and cultural ties while promoting economic growth and deeper integration across our Caribbean community as ‘One Caribbean,’” Stone said.
Headline image description: Members of the Barbados government, Sunrise Airways, and the Antigua and Barbuda government participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new route linking the two countries together. Photo provided by Sunrise Airways.
