British Airways launches first-ever flights to Dutch Caribbean
/ Our Today
administratorNew service complements existing TUI service to Aruba from UK
British Airways is headed for the Dutch Caribbean for the first time ever.
The British carrier is adding the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba as a route next spring. Beginning in March 2023, British Airways will be operating twice-weekly flights out of London Gatwick Airport.
The new service complements existing UK service to Aruba on TUI. While the TUI service is only seasonal, British Airways will be flying to Aruba year round, with two weekly flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
“Another milestone for the island’s tourism industry with a direct year-round scheduled service between London Gatwick Airport and Aruba.”
Joost Meijs, CEO of the Aruba Airport Authority
The service is direct but not nonstop, with a brief stopover at Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport. British Airways will be operating the service on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with 32 Club seats, 52 World Traveller Plus seats and 252 economy seats.
The new flight will open up local connections to nearby Dutch Caribbean destinations like Bonaire and Curacao for British travelers. The Aruba Airport Authority reported in a statement that the new service was the product of nearly seven years of talks with British Airways.
Joost Meijs, CEO of the Aruba Airport Authority, commented: “Another milestone for the island’s tourism industry with a direct year-round scheduled service between London Gatwick Airport and Aruba. The introduction of this direct service is a goal we have long been working towards and we are thrilled that our air service development efforts have borne fruit.
780,000 PASSENGERS HANDLED AT REINA BEATRIX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The statement added that, “in a highly competitive arena, it is essential to have a direct year-round scheduled service and easy connections from major markets”.
The Airport Authority announced that, for this year, a total of almost 780,000 passengers were handled at Aruba’s Reina Beatrix International Airport. That represents a recovery of nearly 91 per cent compared to 2019.
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