(Trinidad Guardian) When BW268 touched at the Robert L Bradshaw International Airport just after 10 am yestyerday, it marked the first time Caribbean Airlines (CAL) was operating scheduled flights to St Kitts.
As is customary, when an airline flies into a country for the first time, the aircraft is greeted with a water cannon salute. The visitors – just over 30 passengers – were also greeted on the ground by Kittitian masqueraders.
The move is part of the airline’s Eastern Caribbean expansion plans – plans to add frequency to existing routes and new routes to its network.
Caribbean Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer Nirmala Ramai says this new service will introduce at least 680 seats weekly in and out of St Kitts as the airline plans to operate five weekly flights between Trinidad, Antigua, St Kitts, and Barbados.
Local officials were also ecstatic about adding St Kitts to the network. Speaking with Guardian Media at the inaugural launch event in St Kitts, Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson described the route as a significant boom for St Kitts as the Caribbean is the country’s second biggest source market.
She emphasized that inter-connectivity in the region was important not only to boost visitor numbers but also to connect those that work on the island with their home countries.
St Kitts is Caribbean Airlines’ 23rd destination.
Flights will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from Port of Spain via Antigua. On Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s a direct flight from Barbados. All flights are operated using the ATR 72-600 aircraft
