Barbados Eyeing Increased Airlift From Germany, France

Above: a Condor flight

By the Caribbean Journal staff

More air service from Germany to Barbados could soon be on the way, according to Barbados Tourism Minister Richard Sealy.

According to a government release, Sealy recently held talks with Der Touristic, which currently operates a twice-weekly flight on air carrier Condor.

“Germany is a country with a population of 80 million people and 77 million Germans spend at least one night a year outside of the country,” Sealy said. “It is the strongest economy in Europe. It is the most populous country in Europe and it is good business for us to get. The little bit of German business that we have been getting over the years, they tend to stay long and the spend is usually quite good.”

Another carrier, TUI, could launch direct service from Hamburg to Barbados in the winter, according to Sealy.

“Having a flight from Frankfurt and Hamburg is a very good thing in terms of getting incremental business,” he said. “We would also like to get a flight of Munich or Dusseldorf.”

Sealy said another European carrier, Air France, will hold talks with Barbados about launching a thrice-weekly service to Barbados.

“Even though France has had some economic challenges, they are bouncing back and you cannot ignore the second-largest player,” he said. “it is a country that has been war-tested over the centuries and, therefore, we have to look and see what we can do to get that business.”