Following its start of flights from Barbados earlier this month, regional airline InterCaribbean Airways is pushing to cement its position as the number one air carrier in the region as it looks to add trips from eight new routes this year.

“We’re going to be in every Caribbean island with an airport greater than 5,000 feet by 2028…that is the plan and we are well on our way. We have eight new routes that we are planning to launch between now and the end of the year,” founder and chairman of InterCaribbean Airways, Lyndon Gardiner said during a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Tight-lipped about where the next destination will be, as discussions remain ongoing and await the requisite regulatory approvals, Gardiner assured that his airline “will be making these flights once everything has been confirmed”.

The launch of the non-stop flights also comes at a time when the regional carrier continues to service a market which over the last few years has had to grapple with a growing need for improved travel connectivity, following the collapse of a number of other regional airlines.

At the start of this year cash-strapped airline LIAT following a court decision has had to commence wind up of its operations in the wake of prolonged financial challenges. Prior to its ill fate, the regional carrier had for nearly half a century stood as an essential thread in the fabric of Caribbean connectivity.

With the introduction of the Bridgetown-Kingston service, InterCaribbean continues to expand its network, reinforcing its role as a key player in Caribbean aviation while contributing to stronger connectivity within the region.

“This new service introduces convenient one-stop connections for passengers travelling from southern destinations such as Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Georgetown [Guyana], Antigua, and Dominica, further expanding the reach and impact of the route. These connections will significantly enhance the travel experience for passengers, providing more efficient and streamlined travel options within the Caribbean,” the airline had said in a notice about the start of the flights which commenced on February 6.

“We keep expanding what we’re doing in the Caribbean and we’re looking to do much more cross Caribbean flights as we seek to provide better connectivity between the western and southern Caribbean,” Gardiner told the Caribbean Business Report.

InterCaribbean, headquartered in Turks and Caicos, currently connects some 28 cities across 17 countries in the Caribbean. In filling the void left in the industry since the novel coronavirus pandemic, the airline prides itself as a major gateway for regional travel offering more options and greater convenience for business people, vacationers and students.

“Our latest flight is just one more plank in the plan to create better connectivity,” the founder and chairman underscored.

The airline operates approximately 60-80 flights daily, accommodating over 20,000 passengers across its growing fleet of aircraft which consist of ATR 72 and 42-500 series, ERJ145, Embraer 120 and Twin Otter jets.