Antigua will welcome its first international flight on June 4

Antigua and Barbuda will welcome its first international flight on June 4 since the island shut its borders as part of the efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez, speaking during a virtual meeting on Monday, said that an American Airlines flight from Miami is due to land on June 4, bringing the first set of international passenger flights in 10 weeks.

He said it will mark the start of a slow, phased recovery for the sector and is set to be followed by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL) in mid-June and British Airways in July.

Fernandez said that the island would be seeking to ensure international confidence in the country’s ability to keep people safe and that staving off a second wave of infections will prove crucial.