Cayman Airways is introducing a new route to Barbados as part of efforts to improve nonstop connectivity in the Caribbean.

The scheduled start date for the service from Grand Cayman to Bridgetown is slated for mid-October, subject to the airline obtaining relevant regulatory approvals. The state-owned carrier intends to offer one return flight per week.

Cayman Islands' Tourism and Ports Minister Kenneth Bryan says the “historic route” will foster closer ties between the two countries and provide more connecting opportunities for passengers from Barbados.

Flights will be timed to give travelers the ability to connect via Grand Cayman to Cayman Airways’ service to Los Angeles, which launched last year—opening up the U.S. West Coast to passengers originating within the eastern Caribbean.

Additionally, Barbados’ Tourism and International Transport Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill expects the route to appeal to the Barbadian diaspora residing in the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Airways launched the year-round route to Los Angeles last November, marking the airline’s only destination on the U.S. West Coast. The service operates weekly from Grand Cayman using 160-seat Boeing 737-8 aircraft.

Flights to Los Angeles were made possible following the carrier’s decision to replace its four 737-300 aircraft with 737-8s—the fourth and final of which was delivered in January 2022 by lessor Air Lease Corporation.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Cayman Airways’ planned Grand Cayman-Bridgetown route will become the sole nonstop connection between the British Overseas Territory and Barbados. In the Caribbean region, the carrier also serves Cuba’s Havana, as well as Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica.

Cayman Airways operates a fleet of four 737-8s, two De Havilland Canada DHC-6s and two Saab 340Bs, the CAPA – Centre for Aviation database shows.