Delta Air Lines Resumes Non-Stop Service Out Of Atlanta
Delta Air Lines has resumed its service to Barbados after a seven-year hiatus.
The airline began its non-stop daily service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) from Saturday, November 23. Flight DL1985, a Boeing 737 aircraft, captained by Pilot Brent KnoBlach and First Officer Edmund Chianda landed at 3:54 p.m., carrying 160 passengers.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, who welcomed the crew and passengers, noted that the return of Delta Air Lines is a “significant development” in the Ministry’s airlift strategy efforts.
He said by the end of 2024, Barbados would count approximately 11 new and reinstated gateways, which reinforces the commercial viability of the island as a tourism attraction.
“Our partnership with Delta Air Lines is vital to expanding gateways across the U.S. and enhancing connectivity to Barbados…. By looking at this resumption of service by Delta Air Lines, this undeniably speaks to the level of confidence that the airline industry has placed in Barbados…. The airline already has 25,000 bookings, and they are anticipating 50,000 to 70,000 within a year,” Minister Gooding-Edghill disclosed.
The Tourism Minister reported that the U.S. continues to be one of Barbados’ leading source markets and shared that up until the end of September 2024, the USA market had eclipsed the United Kingdom’s and is now the leading source market for destination Barbados.
“With Delta, we are sure to continue to see the trend towards increased passenger numbers from the US market to Barbados … and we are confident that with today’s…flight, we will see incremental growth both in the short and long term,” Mr. Gooding-Edghill said.
The Minister said he is “very proud of the Barbados team” for their work in building up the island’s airlift capacity and thanked all those involved in the process.
In addition to Delta’s service out of Atlanta, from December 21, the airline will offer a Saturday-only flight out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and will be extending its service through to the summer of 2025.
Delta’s Field Director Caribbean Airport Customer Service, Jennifer Rabun, indicated that the airline was happy to be returning its service to the “beautiful island of Barbados”.
She said the airline is continuously working to expand its reach and make it easier for its customers to explore the world and this service was one such way.
“Today marks not just the launch of a new route but also a testament to Delta’s dedication to serving our customers and connecting communities…. This new service opens up Barbados to customers from over 100 U.S. cities.… This means that our network is not only connecting Atlanta to Barbados, but it’s also linking countless communities across the United States to this sun-soaked destination,” Ms. Rabun emphasised.
She added: “We’re dedicated to ensuring that the future of travel is connected, personalised, and enjoyable. Our people’s genuine and enduring motivation is to make every customer feel welcomed and respected across every point of their journey with us.”
Author: Sheena Forde-Craigg