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.”

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.” (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill (centre) poses for a photograph with Delta Airlines First Officer, Edmund Chianda (left) and Pilot Brent KnoBlach (right), who flew Delta Air Lines Flight DL1985 from Atlanta to Barbados on Saturday, November 23

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, has underscored the importance of entrusting young people with the responsibility of addressing climate challenges, particularly in small island developing states.

Senator Munro-Knight was speaking during Climate Mobility Youth Day at COP29 in Azerbaijan.

Reflecting on the Government’s youth-focused initiative, the Minister remarked: “We have to trust…our young people.  As we challenge them to walk with us, we put our money where our mouth is. Regardless of qualifications, we want to know that they can bring skills, heart, and commitment,” she stated.

She also spoke about this country’s Future Barbados initiative, which was launched in 2018 to empower young Barbadians to solve pressing issues facing the island state.

The initiative calls on Barbadians under 40 years, whether residing locally or abroad, to contribute innovative solutions to challenges such as blue economy sustainability, effective governance, and public health amid the climate crisis.

During the High-Level Session, youth delegates from around the world presented innovative policy ideas, directly engaging with global leaders. The session was a key step towards forming a coalition between the co-hosting governments and young people, aimed at driving forward inclusive and sustainable climate adaptation strategies.

Dr. Munro-Knight also highlighted Barbados’ ongoing commitment to youth development, speaking to scholarship programmes and new opportunities for young leaders to gain expertise and exercise agency in addressing global climate issues. 

She expressed confidence that these investments would foster a generation of informed leaders dedicated to bringing their skills back home to support national development. 

The success of Climate Mobility Youth Day underscored the critical role of youth engagement in tackling the dual challenges of climate change and human mobility. Barbados’ active participation demonstrated its commitment to empowering the next generation of climate leaders. (PR/GIS)

A team of about 50 volunteers from CIBC Caribbean and their families joined hundreds around the world on Saturday 21^st September for the start of the International Coastal Clean-up – the world’s largest annual volunteer effort created to tackle and clean up increasing levels of trash and debris which are impacting our delicate marine environment. 

Armed with gloves and lots of energy, the team assembled on the Drill Hall Beach, St. Michael from as early as 6.30a.m., and with the help of the crew from the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) they started the task of collecting trash left by people who use the popular beach. 

The Barbados International Coastal Clean-up (BICC) is an annual nationwide volunteer beach cleanup event which is coordinated by Barbados’ Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), a non-profit organization. This year the cleanup for Barbados will take place every Saturday until the end of October in an attempt to tackle and prevent the damage being done to our local marine environment by trash and debris on our beautiful beaches.

On Saturday, all materials collected were carefully catalogued and recorded as the CYEN team uses this information to report into the international network to which they belong, about the items found on beaches across the region.    

Within a two-hour window, the CIBC Caribbean team had collected 108.39 kgs of garbage which included food wrappers and containers, plastic beverage bottles, clothing, pieces of glass, cups, plates, grocery bags, micro plastics and bottle caps.  They also removed pieces of wood and a discarded office chair with wheels. The group also moved the fallen dry palm tree fronds to a large pile for further removal. 

“The cleanup at Drill Hall Beach highlights the ongoing commitment of Barbadians to safeguarding our coastal environment. As we work together to remove harmful debris, we not only protect our marine ecosystems but also strengthen our communities. Each piece of litter removed is a step toward a healthier, more sustainable future for Barbados, and we are proud to have CIBC contributing to this vital cause year after year. This effort is a reminder that protecting our beaches is not just an annual event but a shared responsibility for all of us,” stated National Coordinator for the CYEN in Barbados Shannon Weekes.   

The bank also took the opportunity to present the CYEN with a donation towards their work in keeping the beaches clean by organising the clean-up exercises this year. The super-size credit card was presented by Krystle Maynard from the Treasury Department and Sean Bostic Senior Manager, Business Analysis, Performance & Analytics.

This is the third year that the bank has participated in the beach cleanup.  Other beaches they have tackled include Sam Lord’s Castle Beach, St. Philip and Pirate’s Cove Beach in Bridgetown.  (PR)