British Airways has added Aruba and Guyana to its network, with inaugural flights being greeted with a warm reception in the respective capital cities. British Airways serves more destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico than any other UK airline, with the addition of Aruba and Guyana bringing the total to 17.
Flight BA2157 departed London Gatwick (LGW) at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 26 and landed at 17:00 p.m. local time at Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Oranjestad, Aruba. The new route will operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays via Antigua.
Arelis Spanner, a cabin crew member for British Airways who flew on the inaugural BA2157, was born and raised in Aruba, so she has a personal connection to this route. She remarked, “This is such a special day – I’m so proud that British Airways is flying to my home country and to be able to travel on the inaugural flight has been an amazing homecoming.”
Flight BA2159 departed London Gatwick at 11:35 on Monday, March 27, and landed at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana at 19:50 local time. This was the inaugural flight of a twice-weekly service via St. Lucia on Mondays and Thursdays.
The flight was piloted by Captain Marc Chan, whose father was also a British Airways captain and was born in Guyana. He stated, “My father was a BOAC and British Airways captain from 1968 until 1999. He used to look up as a small boy from the jungle at the silver BOAC jets flying high above and dreamed of one day becoming a pilot. My father, Michael Chan-Choong, was the first Guyanese pilot in BOAC. More than 50 years later I am very proud to help launch the inaugural service to Georgetown with my co-pilot Alan Brooks who has Caribbean heritage. It will mark my first steps onto the land of my father and is one of the highlights of my flying career.”
He stated, “My father was a BOAC and British Airways captain from 1968 until 1999. He used to look up as a small boy from the jungle at the silver BOAC jets flying high above and dreamed of one day becoming a pilot. My father, Michael Chan-Choong, was the first Guyanese pilot in BOAC. More than 50 years later I am very proud to help launch the inaugural service to Georgetown with my co-pilot Alan Brooks who has Caribbean heritage. It will mark my first steps onto the land of my father and is one of the highlights of my flying career.”
Both routes will be serviced by a Boeing 777-200 with three cabin options: Club (business), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), and World Traveller (economy) (economy).
