British Airways (BA) will raise seat capacity to Barbados by 70 per cent for the 2026/2027 winter season and more than double it next summer, according to Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI).

The tourism agency said the expanded schedule could add more than 120,000 seats a year, driven mainly by the relaunch of a year-round London Gatwick service.

Daily flights from Gatwick to Grantley Adams International Airport start on October 25, the first day of the IATA winter season. BA’s Heathrow service stays at once daily through November, then rises to twice daily from December to March 2027. That gives Barbados three daily direct flights from the UK in winter, which BTMI said has never happened before.

The Gatwick route will carry on into summer 2027, giving BA its first double-daily summer schedule to the island.

On six days a week, the Gatwick flight will be shared with Guyana, Tobago or Grenada, while Wednesday’s rotation will serve Barbados alone.

BTMI chief executive Andrea Franklin said the decision reflected demand for travel to Barbados and the wider region, and described keeping the island accessible to UK visitors as a top priority. She added that the expanded partnership would improve connections for travellers coming through the UK from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

BTMI said the added summer capacity gives visitors more options to attend events such as the Crop Over Festival. It noted that BA has flown to Barbados for more than 72 years.

The UK is one of Barbados’ main source markets for stayover visitors. The shared Gatwick rotation also adds UK seats for Guyana, Tobago and Grenada heading into the peak season.

The announcement comes alongside separate reports of expanded Air Canada service to Barbados