InterCaribbean And WINAIR Expanding Caribbean Route Network

Connectivity and competition in the Caribbean are on the rise as two regional carriers are expending their route network in early 2026.

InterCaribbean Airways Expanding Barbados Presence

Starting March 8, 2026, InterCaribbean Airways will add four new routes out of Barbados (BGI), connecting Trinidad (POS), St. Maarten (SXM), Tortola (EIS) and Georgetown (OGL).

“Barbados is central to regional connectivity in the Caribbean, and we are investing in growth,” said Lyndon Gardiner, Chairman of interCaribbean Airways.

“With these additions, we’re putting more aircraft and more frequencies into Barbados, giving travellers access to our full Caribbean network, from Guyana to Jamaica to Turks & Caicos, the British Virgin Islands, and now to St. Maarten and Trinidad.”

Besides the Barbados hub expansion, InterCaribbean will also launch service between Tortola and St. Maarten, operating twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays, starting on March 12, 2026. They will also continue the Providenciales (PLS) to Barbados route, keeping the three times weekly schedule between the two islands.

Besides the CRJ-operated Providenciales run, these routes will be serviced with their fleet of ATR 42-500s. InterCaribbean operates a mixed fleet of regional turboprops and jets including ATR 42-500s, an ATR 72-500, a Bombardier CRJ900, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Embraer ERJ-145s and a soon to be retired Embraer EMB-120RT Brasilia.

Origin	Destination	Frequency
Barbados (BGI)	Port of Spain (POS)	Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays (Starting March 8)
Barbados (BGI)	Tortola (EIS)	Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays (Starting March 9)
Barbados (BGI)	St. Maarten (SXM)	Sundays, Wednesdays (Starting March 8)
Barbados (BGI)	Georgetown (OGL)	Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (Starting March 9)
Tortola (EIS)	St. Maarten (SXM)	Thursdays, Saturdays (Starting March 12)

WINAIR Adds Trinidad To Its Network

Starting February 1, 2026, St. Maarten’s WINAIR will add Port of Spain, Trinidad to its route network, flying twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays. They will be going up against Caribbean Airlines, which operates three times weekly between the two islands (four if you want to count the milk run flight which stops in Barbados).

WINAIR has also increased flight frequencies on existing routes, making it easier for passengers to connect to other destinations including Tortola, St. Barts, Saba, Antigua, as well as St. Kitts and Nevis.  

I’m interested in seeing how all this plays out. While I’m supportive of increased connectivity within the region, there are only so many passengers that fly between the islands, sometimes making it hard for multiple carriers to operate profitably. There are also some routes that simply do not make sense because of limited demand.

Recently, Caribbean Airlines announced the discontinuation of flights to Puerto Rico and Tortola as a result of poor passenger loads. Before that, Frontier Airlines, which also flew between Port of Spain and Puerto Rico, called it quits after just nine months of service.

On the flip side, Caribbean travel could be a bit more sustainable, but requires individual governments to be a bit more flexible with the pricing of their country and facility fees and taxes. A typical one-hour flights between the islands costs about the same as an economy ticket between New York and Los Angeles on a major U.S. carrier. Some reductions should be put in place, even if it’s limited to Caribbean nationals, so that travel between the islands could be a bit more affordable.

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