On Friday, Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft touched down for the first time at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA).
With over 150 passengers comprising a group of media personnel and influencers, plus 10 crew including Captain Ian Manson, the low-cost carrier flew from Gatwick Airport, London arriving in Barbados shortly after 4:00 p.m.
On hand for the inaugural welcome were Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Craig Hinds; and BTMI’s UK Director, Cheryl Carter; GAIA’s CEO, Hadley Bourne; Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, Renee Coppin; and the British High Commission in Barbados, Country Director, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, UK Department for Business and Trade, Shane Nicholls.
Director Carter disclosed that Barbados and the airline executives reached an agreement to have the long-haul 342-seat capacity Norwegian carrier, fly to Barbados during this year’s winter season 2023/2024, and all players involved were satisfied with the outcome.
“We have been working with the team for I’d say close to 24 months, from the first day that they expressed an interest in flying to the Caribbean and flying to Barbados. We obviously have been also working with the hotel association to make sure that Norse [Atlantic Airline] can pair their seats with the accommodation…. The intention is to operate up to five flights a week between now and the middle of April next year, so we are really, really pleased,” Ms. Carter stated.
She said Barbados looks forward to continuing its working relationship with the Norwegian carrier so that it could bring more new visitors to the island.
Captain Manson said it was a “real pleasure” to have flown the first Norse Atlantic Dreamliner aircraft into the “beautiful” island of Barbados.
“We flew over 4,000 miles today, … and what a fantastic welcome from all of the representatives of Barbados…. We are going to be upping the loads during the winter and we are excited to bring more passengers and more explorers to the beautiful island of Barbados,” he added.