Two of the region’s leading airlines are seeing an uptick in bookings for the upcoming International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup.
Eight days before the start of the event, both interCaribbean Airways and Caribbean Airlines have reported increased business for travel throughout the Caribbean.
Nether airline, however, plans to put additional flights at this stage for the event, which will be played in the West Indies and United States from June 1 to 29.
Trevor Sadler, interCaribbean Airways chief executive officer, said the level of interest and demand for travel during the T20 World Cup was in keeping with their expectations.
“We have witnessed an increase in bookings for the period surrounding the T20 World Cup. While the summer period is typically busy for us in the southern region, there has been a noticeable uptick, with many cricket customers having booked their flights several months ago,” he told the Weekend Nation.
The interCaribbean Airways head noted that the highest interest among travellers came from some islands that are not hosting any matches, such as Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts and Jamaica.
Six countries in the Caribbean have been awarded matches in the T20 World Cup – Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines – while United States will stage games in New York, Florida and Texas.
In spite of the increased bookings, Sadler said there was no need for interCaribbean Airways to put on extra flights at this time but they were prepared to do so should the situation warrant it.
“Over the past several months, we have been proactively increasing capacity, adding new routes and boosting frequency on some of our existing routes. These measures have been part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our operations,” he said.
“While we have not announced any additional flights yet, our recent capacity increases have positioned us well to accommodate the uptick in demand during this period.
“We are closely monitoring booking trends and demand patterns – and we are prepared to respond by adjusting our flight availability as necessary. We will remain agile and adaptable, ready to enhance our operations to cater to the evolving needs of our customers during this period.”
When asked how much of a challenge it had been for interCaribbean Airways to meet the increased demand, Sadler said they had been proactively working on improving their overall operations over the past several months.
“These enhancements have put us in a very strong position to effectively respond to the increased travel requirements for the T20 World Cup,” he said.
“Our team has optimised our schedules and augmented our fleet capacity. These measures have allowed us to accommodate the heightened demand and ensure a seamless travel experience for our customers during this peak period.”
Caribbean Airlines said they had seen a moderate increase in bookings during the period of the T20 World Cup but also added it did not see the need for more flights.
“At this time, the existing inventory is sufficient to meet the demand and we continue to closely monitor same. If this changes and resources permit, then a decision to add capacity will be considered,” the airline said.
It noted that the most interest from travellers came from Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados and added there was steady demand for travel to the United States.
Caribbean Airlines also said that with proper planning their teams had been able to facilitate the overall demand. (HG)
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