Owner and Founder of interCaribbean Airways, Lyndon Gardiner, says the airline is positioned for a long and fruitful tenure in regional travel.
Observing the marked difference that the airline’s recent expansions have made in offsetting the travel challenges in the Eastern Caribbean, Gardiner states that they are still setting their sights higher with more and newer airplanes to be added to their already large fleet and creating more partnerships with regional tourism bodies and governments.
“interCaribbean’s entry into the Eastern Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic and its ultimate consolidation as a major player in regional travel is stoking enhanced competition that will redound to the benefit of travellers—resulting in lower fares, better routes, better customer service and quality of the travel experience. As a member of the Community, I am heartened to see this,” Gardiner said, in a telephone interview with Asbert News Network
In January, interCaribbean Airways announced that the airline was expanding its travel offerings and that throughout the year, they would replace older aircraft with newer planes to their fleet, while continuing upgrades to their infrastructure and customer service. By late February into March, still a relative newcomer to the Eastern Caribbean market, interCaribbean Airways almost overnight became a household name in some key Islands, with a series of announced and launched scheduled expansions, the addition of two newer aircraft, and a solid ground placement in what has become its Eastern hub, Barbados.
If the cursory observer was still skeptical about the airline’s commitment to the region, have no fear. Gardiner says that the airline is here to stay and has demonstrated its dedication to putting its money behind its promises. “Everything we promised going into 2023, we have seen materialized or is well into the process. interCaribbean has only ever known diligence and hard work, and that is why we have survived and grown steadily for over three decades. We listen to our customers, and we take the necessary action to serve them better. We knew we needed to upscale our service. We knew we needed newer planes. We knew we needed to understand the Eastern Caribbean market better. We knew we needed partnerships. How did we know that? We listened, we did surveys, and we spoke to travel industry experts. We talked to governments. We asked the tough questions, and we took the harsh criticisms. And we came back in 2023, determined that the people of the Eastern Caribbean who gave us the privilege in 2020 to serve them, would not only know our name but would welcome our service. I think we are on track to achieve this.”
With recent direct route launches and extended schedules between Barbados and St. Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados and Grenada; and with the establishment of travel agreements with those countries, Gardiner is convinced that he is on the right path to significantly improve regional air service. Currently, the airline has direct routes between Barbados and Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, with connections to twenty-two other cities in the Caribbean.
When asked about interCaribbean’s positioning in the market, and how that is reflected in its bottom line, Gardiner pointed out that the global crises are affecting the travel market everywhere, as inflation and fuel costs have been on the rise. Nevertheless, his optimism was palpable. “Travel has gotten back to pre-pandemic levels, and we are seeing pent-up demand for general travel and emerging growth in intra-regional tourism travel—for leisure, for festivals, and other reasons. We are capturing those trends. In these uncertain times, where geopolitics is constantly changing, our Caribbean people are increasingly showing that they value the experiences and the environment that make this region unique. We are still fortunate to live and fly where others want to vacation, so we are making the most of that.”
In speaking of travel costs, the Founder of interCaribbean Airways doubled down and repeated the airline’s commitment to the travellers of the region: “On average, interCaribbean offers the most competitively priced flights of any airline in the region. The costs of our flights are lower, due to our stable and sustainable pricing structures. Customers know that in any given travel and schedule period, they can book with interCairbbean on the routes available and find the same prices, as advertised, for the flights. We do not fluctuate in pricing like some of our competitors.” In a region where travel has been built on uncertain prices and schedules for the past several decades, this news comes as a welcome reprieve that allows customers to better plan their travel budgets.
In addition to affordability, interCaribbean is touting other areas that set its company apart from competitors. With an emphasis on regionalism and being a home-grown, Caribbean carrier, the company boasts over four-hundred employees, and a commitment to ensure that the majority of its pilots and airline staff are from the countries of the region. The company’s travel brochures and other collateral depict the indigenous pride in the regional human capacity of its operations, according to the Founder and Chairman.
“We are who and what we represent. interCaribbean has built this operation on the strength and service of hundreds of team members, who, like me, were born and raised in this region. Many of us came from very humble beginnings, and we have grown with the airline. Our culture of promoting from within, and providing opportunities through mentorship and training to give back and build on the airline career service in the region is unmatched—and we can challenge any of our competitors on this. It’s the main pillar of our corporate social responsibility, as we thrive on a commitment to our community.” Here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this news service notes that interCaribbean Airways is giving back by forging a necessary and meaningful connection with World Pediatric Project to transport children with emergent medical needs for treatment. The airline’s stated focus on building partnerships and sustainability has been visible in this initiative here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and we asked about his interCaribbean’s intentions for sustainability and longevity in the region.
Expectant for a sustained relationship with the travel industry of the Eastern Caribbean, Gardiner notes that the way ahead will continue to be filled with challenges, as airlines navigate fuel prices and shortages, environmental and economic shocks, and other uncertainties, but interCaribbean is cultivating a brand and a presence to withstand or bounce back from any potential exogenous event. According to Gardiner, the airline is heavily focusing on sustainability, maybe even more so than its competitors, because having seen first-hand and responded to some of the most devastating climatic events in the region over the last several decades, interCaribbean understands and profoundly appreciates the airline industry’s responsibility to help build climate resilience, including through investment in more fuel-friendly aircraft.
“Overall, our agenda is to be the go-to carrier in regional travel. We have made no secret of that ambition, and we are working toward it. As I have stated, travellers have choices, and choices are borne out of competition and service. interCaribbean continues to broaden its scope, expand, and enhance its services. We are here to ensure that the customers we serve have the safest and the most satisfying travel experience that we can provide. interCaribbean’s safety record is indisputable and we are extremely proud of that fact. We will continue to do what we must in all areas to remain at the pinnacle of regional travel. The market is growing, and we are growing with it.”
According to Gardiner, immediate and future growth plans include adding more direct flights between routes for more expansions by the end of the year. Further partnerships with regional tourism bodies are in the pipeline, and so are opportunities for more interline agreements with international carriers. By the end of 2023, travellers can also expect to see additional newer aircraft, to continue, as the airline’s logo states, “connect you and the Caribbean.”
The airline operates daily flights out of St Vincent and th Grenadines, including non-stop options to Grenada, St. Lucia, and Barbados, as well as connecting services for Vincentians to reach Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, and more than 20 other destinations throughout the Caribbean.