(CNS): Cayman Airways Ltd is set to add two midweek flights from Grand Cayman to Barbados from 18 October. In what Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said was an unusual move for the government-owned airline, the goal is to expand connections across the Caribbean for both countries, as well as offer Barbados a connection to the West Coast of the United States and connect Grand Cayman to several European countries.

While this will be the only direct flight from the Western Caribbean to the Eastern Caribbean, which will open up new markets for both islands regionally, the main goal appears to be the access it will provide to the broader worldwide connections, given that a new LAX flight is also being squeezed between the Barbados flights

Speaking at the press conference Monday to announce the new route, CAL CEO Fabian Whorms said the schedule is still to be worked out, but the plan is for an early morning flight on Wednesdays from Owen Roberts International Airport to Barbados. The return flight from Barbados will arrive in Cayman in the afternoon in order to connect with the extra flight to Los Angeles, which will land there in the evening before the aircraft turns around for an overnight flight back to Grand Cayman.

Then on Thursday morning, the aircraft will go back to the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados, where the flight will be on the ground for several hours. Whorms explained that during this time, a number of European flights arrive in Barbados, and the hope is that people will choose to fly on to Grand Cayman.

As he outlined the new route, Bryan said that CAL was partnering with the Government of Barbados on this “game changer” for the region, though he was unable to share any details of the deal. CNS asked if Barbados was paying towards this route, but the minister said he was not allowed to discuss details of the contract or the financial arrangements that might be contained in it, even though Cayman Airways is owned by the government and subsidised by the public purse.

Bryan said the flights were part of an overall “strategy to expand the airline’s connectivity to the north, south-east and west”. As well as being welcome news for the Bajan community in Cayman, the flight will open up access from this side of the Caribbean to the islands in the east without them having to fly through Miami.

But Bryan said the appeal of Barbados was also the potential connection for Cayman with under-served European destinations, such as Finland and Germany, and more flight options for British travellers.

“By embracing this opportunity, we are not only investing in our prosperity — of both countries — but also the unity and the progress of the entire Caribbean region,” he said, adding that the service would pave the way for a more connected future.

Ian Gooding-Edghill, the tourism minister for Barbados, said that his country would be investing in a marketing campaign to promote the new route and the connections.

CAL Chairman John-Paul Clarke said that the airline has the capacity to add these midweek flights and does not need to drop any flights on the existing schedule. The additional midweek flight to and from LAX will also help the airline maintain the passengers travelling there, as at present many fly in or out of Los Angeles on Cayman Airways but use another airline on one of the legs.

While travelling from Europe to the Cayman Islands via Barbados will be a longer journey than going through Miami, Bryan noted that one of the reasons why this destination was chosen was because it will be attractive to people who are not able to get a US visa to fly through the US.

The new gateway is expected to open in October, subject to regulatory approval. Tickets are due to go on sale in August, by which time the schedule and ticket price will have been confirmed.

See the press briefing in full on CIGTV below: