As part of the activities to mark 70 years of flying to Barbados, British Airways (BA) has introduced its 787-10 Dreamliner service from London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports for the first time on Sunday.
The first of two flights, captained by Stephen Faulks and Rupert Weiss and carrying over 260 passengers, arrived after 3:00 p.m., while the second flight touched down just before 7:00 p.m.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill; Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s (BTMI) Chairperson, Shelly Williams; its UK Director, Cheryl Carter; and other ministry officials, as well as Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, Ryan Forde, were among those welcoming passengers at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Barbados. The stellar nature of this milestone is made even more significant by the fact that the arrival of this magnificent aircraft represents far more than merely increased airlift for Barbados, rather it clearly and strongly symbolises another mutually beneficial achievement from the great combination of the two Bs, Barbados and British Airways.
“I am confident that given the strength and length of our constantly evolving and enhancing relationship that in the future there will be many more of these historic occasions,” Mr. Gooding-Edghill said.
He thanked the teams from Barbados and British Airways for making the historic moment a reality.
Minister Gooding-Edghill indicated that while the ministry continues to fulfill its initiatives in increasing airlift and passengers to come to Barbados, there is also an equal responsibility on the part of all others in Barbados, to do all that is necessary to make visitors stay enjoyable and memorable, so they can spread the word about Barbados, and also come back time and time again.
The introduction of the 787-10 Dreamliner service is also part of BA’s extension of services to Barbados for the 2023/2024 Barbados winter season, into the first two weeks of April 2024. During this period, the airline will operate two daily flights to Barbados – one from London, Heathrow, and one from London, Gatwick.
According to BA, the 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft is the newest and longest member of the super-efficient 787 family and combines cutting-edge technology, passenger comfort, and impressive efficiency to provide an exceptional flying experience.
Barbados has the distinction of being the only Caribbean island where British Airways has deployed this aircraft, one of the newest in its fleet.