The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) is pleased to announce that International airlift capacity will return to 2019 levels by November 2022.
2019 was a benchmark year which saw stayover totals hit a peak annual figure of 162,904 visitors arriving by air.
Out of the US gateway, Jetblue Airlines is currently operating a daily nonstop service from New York’s JFK, an increase from a previous 5 times per week. American Airlines continues with daily service from Miami and a Saturday weekly service from Charlotte.
Virgin Atlantic Airways returns with a twice weekly service from London Heathrow Airport and via Barbados whilst British Airways has recently announced that from 30 October, 2022 they will be increasing their London Gatwick service from twice weekly through St Lucia to 3 times weekly, with the third flight coming through Antigua on Sundays.
Commencing on 3 November, the Air Canada twice weekly direct service from Toronto Pearson International to Maurice Bishop International will resume on Sundays and Thursdays and also in November, leisure carrier Sunwing Airlines will also offer a once weekly service from Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Condor Airlines restarts in November from Frankfurt, Germany to Grenada nonstop and the return to Germany via Tobago on Sundays starting 20 November 2022.
These new and updated international flights join InterCaribbean Airways which commenced service during the pandemic and now operates twice daily to Grenada from Barbados via St Vincent, Caribbean Airlines which operates 4 times weekly from Trinidad and once weekly from Barbados and Liat which operates a twice weekly service from Antigua.
These airlift announcements come on the heels of the recent launch of the twin otter on the Grenada to Carriacou route, which operates twice daily Friday through Tuesday each week. The service allows for seamless same-day connectivity with most carriers from Europe, North America and the Caribbean.
Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority remarked, “we will continue to strategically build out our airlift capacity and gateways, as connectivity anchors the long-term viability of the tourism industry and is central to our sustainable development as a people. Our local population has to be able to travel for personal and professional reasons if required or visit family and friends hassle-free, so reliable airlift is a top priority.”
Regional airlift will be the focus at the upcoming International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 4th Caribbean Aviation Day to be held in the Cayman Islands. The conference will bring together Ministers of Government and leaders in the Caribbean tourism industry, to discuss how best to maximize the social and economic value of aviation in the Caribbean. It is intended to arrest the current challenges and come away with new ideas to strengthen ties throughout the region and develop a solution-based action plan which will benefit all.
GTA
Caribbean Airlines is becoming the new LIAT joke, with no seats available on most flights, sky high prices and only 4 flights a week. Its time someone else took their money and started to fly to Trinidad, there used to be about 15 flights a week, of course 4 are permanently sold out.