Saint Lucia celebrated the return of Virgin Atlantic as the first flight arrived at Hewanorra Airport on Saturday December 18, 2021.

VS221 touched down, bringing 148 travellers to a warm welcome from the Saint Lucian Government, represented by the Minister for Tourism, Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire. Also present were Mr. Thaddeus M. Antoine, Chairman of the SLTA, Mr. Paul Collymore, President of the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association, Gasper George, Corporate Communications manager at the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority and Rondel Charley, Public Relations Officer at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.

As the crew and passengers landed, Captain Iain Reid waved the Saint Lucian flag enthusiastically from the cock pit to well-wishers on the tarmac. The airline first started flying to Saint Lucia in 1999. Following a 21-month break, the service is back with three weekly direct flights from London Heathrow.

Minister Hilaire presented the captain and crew with a commemorative plaque. He remarked: “It was a thrill to see the red and white livery of Virgin flying in once again. We want to thank Virgin Atlantic for their commitment to Saint Lucia and the region and look forward to welcoming new and returning passengers over the winter season." 

This takes direct flights from the UK up to 11 per week. This summer, new non-stop flights were introduced from the U.S., adding a service from Dallas and tripling direct services from the New York area. A weekly Sunday service via Air Canada started again on October 3, with added flights throughout the season. Also serving Canada is WestJet.

The Saint Lucian Government has ambitious plans for growing sustainable tourism with exciting plans for local developments and new accommodation. Arrival figures continue to return at a strong pace with the US market recording double-digit growth this year resulting in an overall increase of 56% on the figures recorded year-to-date from 2020.

For more information about Saint Lucia, visit www.stlucia.org.