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Airport ready to cope with increased tourism arrivals

by Anesta Henry
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After more than two years of few arrivals, officials at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) are prepared for more passenger traffic as a result of projected increased tourist arrivals in the winter season.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAIA Hadley Bourne said that over the past two months, management has hosted a series of meetings with major stakeholders to reflect on last year’s winter season and develop strategies to manage the expected large crowds.

He explained that 80 to 90 per cent of daily activity at the airport occurs between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and plans are in place to manage what he has described as a full season coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the two-year period, we did have some challenges with equipment due to, as everybody would say, logistical challenges and availability of parts. We have been working to get a lot of that equipment back up and ready for the season and I am looking forward to it,” Bourne said in an interview with Barbados TODAY.

“Having taken office in the height of COVID and being around the airport for over 25 years, it was disheartening to come here some days and not see one single passenger or even a car in the airport. So seeing that level of activity return is heartening to me. From an economical point of view, we know where most of our foreign reserves come from. I am happy that we are heading in that direction and we will continue to build on what we have,” he added.

Many of the usual winter season flights will be back this year with heavy schedules and rotations. Airlines that service the island throughout the year have also added flights.

“I think as early as yesterday [Monday], British Airways had an additional flight going into Manchester and a later flight going into London. . . . So the winter period at this point in time is looking quite lucrative and quite upbeat,” Bourne said.

He added that between 2 500 and 4 000 travellers could be passing through GAIA daily to be transferred to the Bridgetown Port as cruise lines also increase their scheduled stops.

“When you take for instance that an aircraft could hold as much as 300 or more based on the configuration, then you can see the [number] of passengers that would be headed towards the ship,” Bourne explained. “And those are just chartered flights servicing those ships. Some passengers would also come on scheduled flights, so they will come on British Airways and American Airlines. So all in all, let us keep our fingers crossed that we are on the back of COVID and the season as we anticipate will be a good one.”

The recently-released review of Barbados’ economic performance for the first nine months of the year revealed that tourist arrivals at the end of September totalled 302 863, which was equivalent to 58 per cent of pre-COVID levels.

For the same period last year, there were 239 639 visitors.

Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes, delivering the review, said that with the relaxation of global COVID-19 containment protocols, tourist arrivals have been steadily rising.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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