Controversial Cayman Airways Barbados route axed

Less than a year after it began, Cayman Airways route to Barbados, which was subsidised by the government through the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) is to be axed just after the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, the state-owned tourism marketer announced Friday.

Launched amid much fanfare, the service was the focus of sustained criticism in the British Overseas Territory after failing to attract significant passenger numbers, despite being home to significant numbers of Barbadian expatriate workers who traditionally had to transit through Miami.

But the Grand Cayman-Barbados flights were frequently reported to be leaving nearly empty, according to Caymanian media reports.

In a joint statement, BTMI, Cayman Airways, and the Cayman Islands tourism ministry announced the twice-weekly service will be reduced to a single weekly flight from next Friday before the route’s termination on July 3, four days after the World Cup Final at Kensington Oval.

BTMI Chief Executive Andrea Franklin said in the statement that a review over the winter season found the route underperformed despite its intended aims.

“Following the evaluation, BTMI and Cayman Airways mutually agreed to terminate the arrangement,” she said.

The route was established to enhance airlift between Barbados, the northern Caribbean and the US West Coast.

Cayman Airways also operates non-stop jet service from Grand Cayman to Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California in addition to Miami, Tampa and New York.

The BTMI chief also noted that Panamanian flag carrier Copa Airlines proved “a popular choice for connecting travellers from the West Coast of the USA to Barbados”, increasing its weekly flights from three to four since January.

But Franklin said other airlines had increased capacity from key markets, with a 60 000-seat increase projected for next winter alongside surging demand.

She said BTMI’s “intensified marketing efforts” have led to a 74 per cent growth from the US, while capacity from the Caribbean market increased by 63 per cent.

While thanking Cayman Airways and leaving the door open for future partnerships, Franklin said the “strategic increase of airlift” had made the subsidised route redundant.

Cayman’s Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan cited the “ever-evolving landscape of air travel” in requiring flexibility, adding that the axed deal allowed both sides “to explore new opportunities and strategic destinations”.

Bryan said: “Throughout the contracted period, Cayman Airways has diligently fulfilled its commitment to provide reliable, quality service between our countries. Moving forward, our national airline will continue to prioritise tourism and domestic routes, utilising our aircraft to support these vital connections. We thank the BTMI for their partnership and wish them the best in their future endeavours.”

The route attracted criticism from its launch, as sceptics in Grand Cayman doubted its viability and argued that Cayman Airways’ Boeing 737 jet could be better deployed elsewhere given the flag carrier’s small fleet.

The airline insisted it would not lose money due to a guaranteed profit clause in its deal with Barbados – a deal that attracted criticism of excessive government spending here – but said there were concerns the twin-weekly service distracted from “more relevant routes” for Caymanian travellers and potential visitors.

Cayman Airways said it will continue flying here until July 3 to cater to T20 World Cup traffic before contacting passengers booked beyond that date to rearrange travel or issue refunds.

(BT)