The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), (IATA identifier BGI) / (ICAO Airport Code is TBPB) located at 13°14´24" N, 059°29´13" W, in Seawell, Christ Church on the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. The airport was known as Seawell Airport before being dedicated in honor of the first Premier of Barbados, Sir Grantley Herbert Adams in 1976.

The Grantley Adams Airport has direct service to destinations in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Africa, and Europe and operates as a major gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. The airport is a second hub for BWIA_West_Indies_Airways.

Contents

1 History 2 Overview and Geography 3 Airlines 4 Flight Times 5 Redevelopment 5.1 Architects 5.1.1 Concorde Museum 5.2 Contractor 6 External links

History

Air transportation at the site of present day Grantley Adams International Airport, then known as Seawell Airport goes back as far as the late 1930's. In 1939 a plane from the Royal_Netherlands_Airlines has landed on the airport site. At, the time there was merely a grassy strip as the runway. The strip was paved some time later and in 1949 the first Terminal building was built on the site, to replace a shed that was being used until then. This ushered in the Airport being formally known as the Seawell Airport.

The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport as it's known today, handles most large aircraft including Boeing 747s. The airport was also one of the few destinations in the world where the British Airways' Concorde aircraft visited, this was before the Concordes were completely retired. The Concorde jets typically flew to Barbados during the busy UK-Barbados winter season. The Concorde flight times from the United Kingdom to Barbados lasted less then 4 hours.

Overview and Geography

The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) lies 12.9 km(8 mi.) from the centre of the capital city Bridgetown, the area is officially known as Seawell. This is contrary to most informational services stating the airport as being located inside the capital city.

The terrain around the airport is relatively flat and quite Suburban. The airport lies in the south-eastern portion of parish of Christ Church, close to the southern tip of the entire island. The airport is provided with easy access to the ABC highway/highway 7 heading towards the capital and locations north and westward on the island.

The Grantley Adams Airport also serves as the main air-transportation hub for the Eastern Caribbean. The airport is currently under-going a US$100 Million upgrade and expansion by the government, which will see the addition of a brand new arrivals hall adjacent to the current arrivals/departures terminals. During construction, parts of the airport will remain open for business with little disruption.

Airlines

These are some of the airlines that fly to and from the island. -- and their direct connections to/from Barbados

• Aeropostal - Venezuela
• Air Canada - Toronto
• Air Guadeloupe
• Air Jamaica - Jamaica, Saint_Lucia, Grenada
• Air Martinque
• American Airlines - London(Heathrow), Miami
• Amerijet International
• BMI - London(Heathrow)
• Britannia Airways
• British Airways - London(Gatwick)
• BWIA West Indies Airways - Trinidad, Toronto, London(Heathrow) / (Gatwick)
• Caribbean Star Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Cubana_de_Aviación - Cuba
• Delta
• DHL Air - Cargo
• Fedex - Cargo
• First Choice Airways
• Lauda Air
• Leeward Islands Air Transport (Liat)
• Mustique Airways
• MyTravel Airways(Canada) - Halifax, Montreal(Dorval), Ottawa, Toronto
• Skyservice(Canada)
• Surinam Airways - Paramaribo
• SVG Air - Union Island , Canouan , Mustique
• Trans Island Air
• United Airlines
• US Airways
• Virgin Atlantic - London Gatwick
• United Parcel Service - Cargo

See a list of global airlines at: List of airlines

Flight Times

Popular routes: Estimated flight times to Barbados 'BGI' :

• Amsterdam, Neth: 9 hrs
• Frankfurt, Ger: 9 hrs
• Houston (Via Miami): 7 hrs
• London, UK: 8 hrs
• Miami: 4 hrs
• Milan, Ital. (Via Jamaica): 15 hrs
• Montreal: 5 hrs
• New York: 4 hrs
• San Francisco: 9 hrs
• San Juan, PR: 1 hr
• Stockholm, Sweden: 10 hrs, 30 mins
• Toronto: 5 hrs

Redevelopment

Since the Grantley Adams International Airport has become realatively busy for a small island, and based on the fact that future air traffic to the facilities are exepected to increase, the government of Barbados has embarked on a US$100 million programme to revamp the Airport's current infrastructure. This included repaving the runway, adding a brand new arrivals terminal adjacent to the current building, renovating the current terminal, and bringing the airport infrastructure current for the new millenium.

Architects

Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc. (Q2) of Ontario, Canada -- are the architects of the redesigned GAIA airport, and are monitoring the renovation & expansion of the facilities. Website - www.q2a.net

Concorde Museum

To east of the main Sir Grantley Adams Airport is the proposed site for the new British Airways Concorde Museum on the old Spencers Plantation. This museum is to become a part of the new proposed expanded airport grounds. British Airways had granted the Government of Barbados one of their retired Concorde aircraft, to be put on perminant display in the island of Barbados. The Q2 company entered a museum and exhibition facility design to the Government of Barbados for this new perminant housing of the aircraft.

See the Quay proposed Barbados Concorde museum design: [1] [2]

Contractor

Sypher:Mueller International Inc. -- of Ontario, Canada -- are responsible for the contractor, coordination and planning of the new terminal. Website - www.sypher.aero

Airport Contact Information:

Grantley Adams International Airport Christ Church, Barbados Tel: 1-246-428-7101

External links

• www.gaia.com.bb - The Barbados Grantley Adams Int'l Airport Online

• Caribbean Aviation News - News in Caribbean Aviation
• Specifics about the GAIA