Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport is the only airport located in Barbados. When the first flight made landfall in Barbados in 1939, the airport was known as 'Seawell' and was nothing more than a grassy strip of land as the airfield, with just a shed as an arrivals hall. About ten years later the runway was paved and an official terminal built.
We've come a long way since those days and Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) now welcomes direct flights daily from destinations all over the world; from countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK and neighbouring Caribbean islands.
We were one of the few countries in the world that was a weekly destination for the British Airways Concorde, before the official retirement of that aircraft. The flight from the UK to Barbados on Concorde took a mere four hours as opposed to nine on a commercial airliner.
When Concorde was retired Barbados was lucky enough to be given one of the four aircrafts, which is now housed at the airport in the new facility and tourist attraction 'Barbados Concorde Experience'. For further information about the Barbados Concorde Experience click on the picture to your right.
Recently the government of Barbados has embarked on a one hundred million U.S. dollar project to revamp and upgrade BGI.
The upgrade is nearly complete, providing more than a 50% increase in space for Immigration and Customs processing, a Baggage Claim area, which is almost twice its original size, improved check in facilities equipped with new technology, a brand new arrivals hall, and a departure lounge that offers an increased level of comfort and easy access to a new retail concourse.
The airport has enjoyed a complete overhaul in both design and layout, with a complete refurbishment of all of the interior fixture and fittings. The new upgraded airport is stylish with cool stone flooring and flat screen display systems so that you can keep updated on flight arrivals and departures.
The new airport will have three times the amount of shops and provide travelers with plenty of last minute duty free retail options. It is hoped that when the airport is complete, passengers will have a full array of bars, restaurants, gift shops, designer boutiques and the usual cosmetic, jewellery, perfume, alcohol and tobacco duty free stores.
Already there are a few new food and beverage options including a bar, gourmet coffee shop and fast food options such as chicken and burgers when you need to grab something quickly.
As Barbados played host to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 finals, the Airport Expansion Project was built in stages to ensure a timely completion, which also included four new passenger boarding bridges.
Even the car park has been upgraded with a car system replacing the old booths with a cashier on exit, now you collect a card on entry and take the card with you in to the airport and pay at one central kiosk on the concourse.
There is also a whole new seating area on the outside of the airport with a bar and restaurant so that if you waiting for a loved one to arrive or saying your fond farewells, you can now do that in comfort.
Even though the renovations have been major, BGI airport has remained open for business every single day.
We are confident that once completed, the new airport will be on par with international airports worldwide, and will do a wonderful job of welcoming visitors to our island.
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