Saint Lucia projects 7.3% increase in winter airlift to 295,244 seats

Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia is expecting a 7.3% increase in scheduled airline seats for the upcoming winter season, with 295,244 seats projected between November 2026 and March 2027.

Tourism Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire said the increase reflects efforts to maintain existing airlift while expanding capacity across several key international markets.

According to Tourism Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire, there will be 295,244 seats available from November 2026 to March 2027, which means a 7.3% increase as compared to the past winter season. The United States being St. Lucia’s largest airlift market is expected to account for 158,010 seats, which is an increase of 9.3%. Nearly 890 flights are expected from the USA.

Increased frequency on existing routes will lead to a significant growth.

American Airlines will operate daily flights twice a day throughout the winter period, while the Charlotte flight service will be operating daily from November through March. Philadelphia will increase its flights from once a week to three times a week in December, February and March. United Airlines is also expected to step up its Newark service, i.e, it will operate daily instead of weekly from mid-December.

Canada is set to record an even bigger increase. Reports suggest that approximately 31,947 seats are scheduled from the Canadian market which means a 39.1% increase. In November, Air Canada is expected to operate its flights four times a week, and in December, it will operate five times a week from December through March.

British Airways will operate daily flights to Saint Lucia and flights which till now flew to Grenada, Guyana and Tobago will now be made available to Saint Lucia. Hilaire stated that the UK remains a “ticklish” market. Saint Lucia is heavily promoting its destinations in the UK. UK airlines are the only airlines having direct flights to Saint Lucia. So relying on a single carrier will make Saint Lucia vulnerable to changes in fares, capacity and service.

The number of seats across the Caribbean is set to remain the same as last year, but Saint Lucia is increasing its seats in upcoming winters. Hilaire exclaimed that they all are very happy with the efforts they have put in to increase the number of seats.