Caribbean Airlines to suspend Barbados base in 2026 

Caribbean Airlines (CAL), the region’s largest carrier, will suspend two recently launched routes and plans to close its Barbados base early next year. This move marks a major setback for the already fragile air connectivity of the island.

As per the airline, services to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Tortola, British Virgin Islands will be suspended from January 10, 2026. These routes were notably introduced recently as part of CAL’s expansion strategy but have been facing operational challenges making them unsustainable for the airline to continue these routes.

Caribbean Airlines, in their statement has also confirmed that their base at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados will shut down in February 2026. The closure will also result in a major restructuring of Barbados-origin flights, as all of them will now be routed through the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad, which is CAL’s primary hub.

This also is another challenge for Barbados based crew as they will be required to operate out of Port of Spain. This signals a significant change in crew logistics and the regional employment opportunities.

A Strategic Review

The airline said that this decision has been taken aver a ‘strategic review aimed at optimizing the efficiency and reducing the operational costs.’ Several experts have also cited that the closure of the airline will also add up to the already escalating issue faced by travellers for connectivity to the eastern Caribbean, considering complex routes, high fares and flight options.

Netizens express their concerns

As CAL made the announcement their customers started citing their opinions through comments.

A user named Correy Forbes while backing the airlines wrote, “When it comes to flying to the US, it's hard for these airlines to run with the big dogs. Especially flying into major airports. Maybe they should consider flying into smaller regional airports.”  

Another user named Shas Ramlogan said, “The PR and BVI routes had too many stops to be effective for me personally. But closing the hub in BGI?? A huge power move.”