Barbados gets more airlift from Canada
Barbados is preparing to further expand its international airlift, as the island is now set to welcome a new scheduled flight service from Canada. On Wednesday, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) officially granted Canada’s Porter Airlines the scheduled international licenses necessary to operate flights to Bridgetown, Barbados, as well as to Aruba and the Dominican Republic.
While the official launch dates for the flights to Barbados and these additional Caribbean destinations have not yet been announced, the development marks another step in Porter Airlines’ ongoing expansion into southern vacation markets. This latest approval by the CTA follows previously granted international licenses for flights to Costa Rica, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom, which were announced in June 2025.
Porter Airlines has been steadily increasing its footprint in the Caribbean. Last December, the carrier introduced long-haul services departing from Toronto and Ottawa to Nassau, Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands. This was followed shortly after by the launch of flights from Montreal to Nassau on February 5. The airline’s ability to offer these expanded Caribbean services stems from the addition of the Embraer E195-E2 aircraft to its fleet, which allowed Porter to begin offering long-haul flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport in February 2023.
As part of its broader strategy to extend its elevated economy experience to leisure travelers, Porter is rolling out 13 new routes to five popular vacation destinations for the 2025–2026 season. These destinations include Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Nassau, Grand Cayman, and Liberia (Costa Rica), with flights departing from airports in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Hamilton.
In addition to its international growth, Porter continues to expand its domestic operations. Earlier this week, the airline unveiled a brand-new terminal at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, which will support 12 new Canadian routes scheduled to begin taking off this June.