First Sunrise Airways flight lands in Saint Lucia, marking boost in regional connectivity

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 welcomed the inaugural Sunrise Airways flight to the George FL Charles Airport. The arrival of the flight marked the beginning of a new service connecting the major travel hubs in the Caribbean.

This service provides six flights weekly, offering greater regional travel connectivity with Antigua, Dominica, and St Kitts. The introduction of this service comes at a time when regional connectivity is increasingly important.

The flight touched down on Tuesday around 8:21 am with the airline’s chairman, Philippe Bayard, Sebastien Bayard, Executive Director; Sherry Tross, Chairman’s Advisor and Midji Verdol, Marketing Manager being welcomed to the lively sounds of steel pan music.

On the tarmac, Senator Guibion Ferdinand offered welcoming remarks which was followed by the presentation of the plaque by Mario Reyes, the Chairman of the Airlift Committee at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority including Chairman Thaddeus Antoine, Head of Marketing- Dexter Percil and Public Relations Manager- Geraine Georges, along with SLHTA President- Paul Collymore departed the island on the same day aboard the inaugural service of Sunrise Airways to Antigua.

The officials participated in a brief ceremony in Antigua while fostering the culture of one Caribbean and celebrating much needed connectivity.

This ceremony was followed by a meeting with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority to discuss collaboration and development opportunities between the two nations.

The Antiguan delegation included Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism, and Colin James, CEO of Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority. The officials held a significant meeting and discussed several key factors to boost the tourism sectors of both islands.

It is to be noted that the airline began the new service on May 25, 2024 with its Embraer 120 (EMB-120) twin-turboprop aircraft which offers a maximum seating capacity of 30 passengers.

As the service began, Philippe Bayard, the CEO of Sunrise Airways, noted that the increased flights form part of the airline’s ‘One Caribbean’ initiative. He said that the team has cherished each new route that they have inaugurated over the 12-year history of the airline.

Bayard further stated that this latest expansion is extra special as it brings the mission the company began in the Western Caribbean to better connect the islands under the One Caribbean concept.