Air Canada’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Flight AC966, from Toronto, Canada, landed at the Grantley Adams International Airport, at 2:39 p.m., on Tuesday, December 3, marking 75 years that the airline has been flying to Barbados.
The wide-body aircraft, piloted by Captains Mark Tibbetts and Darren Little, along with eight cabin crew members and 234 passengers, was welcomed to the island by officials from the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., the Grantley Adams International Airport, and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, noted that on December 3, 1949, Air Canada, known then as Trans-Canada Air Lines, was the first North American airline with scheduled service to Barbados. He said it signals a very longstanding partnership between the airline and the country.
“Indeed, this is a special occasion for Barbados; one that celebrates success; one that celebrates the 75 anniversary of Air Canada’s service into Barbados. I should emphasise that Barbados has the distinction of being Air Canada’s longest flight service destination in the entire Caribbean and enjoys the highest repeat visitors within the region,” Mr. Gooding-Edghill stated.
He also shared that the airline is seen as a friend to the country. “For Barbados, Air Canada has certainly proven to be a great friend. When Barbados became an independent nation in November 1966, strengthening our identity as a nation and reinforcing our commitment to building international partners, Air Canada was there. When the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Canada was also here with us, and they became the first airline to resume flight service to Barbados after the pandemic. This demonstrates a deep and unwavering commitment to our shared recovery and resilience.”
The Tourism Minister disclosed that in this calendar year, up until November 24, the island saw an increase of 13.4 per cent in passenger arrivals, “representing Air Canada bringing some 4036 passengers to the end of November 2024”.
“I think that’s important for us to recognise, that this airline has contributed significantly to the economic development of Barbados,” he added.
