Barbados Aviation Holds Back Redjet from U.S. Service

Barbados Aviation Holds Back Redjet from U.S. Service
By Gay Nagle Myers (Travel Weekly)

Redjet, a new Barbados-based airline, won’t be able to launch U.S. service until Barbados is in compliance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration said that Barbados falls short of ICAO standards, which means that no Barbados-based airline can establish a route to the U.S.

However, an FAA spokesman said that the agency’s assessment does not mean that regulators consider Barbados unsafe for airlines based elsewhere to serve the island. Redjet, a low-cost carrier, is scheduled to launch service from Barbados to Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana on May 8.

While U.S. flights do not figure into the carrier’s immediate plans, Redjet was expected to apply for clearance to fly from Barbados to the U.S. once inter-island Caribbean routes were established.

Barbados Minister of International Transport George Hutson said that immediate steps were being taken to make Barbados in full compliance with all regulations. Meanwhile, Redjet launched its website at Redjet.com, selling one-way fares from $9.99.