While REDjet’s model was initially designed specifically for leisure travellers, the airline’s chief executive officer Ian Burns said that as the low-cost carrier develops, it plans to go after the lucrative business travel sector taking advantage of low fares as well.
Burns told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY that while the majority of those currently flying with the airline were leisure travellers, a number of them were also travelling for business.
“I think there is an important business travel community and we are very open to them but our target market is the average consumer and yes, we welcome business travellers on board.
“As our schedules are developed, they will probably become more suitable for businesspeople,” said Burns.
“Across all of our passengers you will see a mixture of different socio-economic backgrounds. But predominantly it has been those visiting friends and relatives,” he said.
The REDjet executive noted that the airline wanted to help make the island the No. 1 entrepreneurial hub in the world but in order to do so, it needed Government’s permission to fly to other destinations for which it applied.
“These delays are unfortunate . . . . We have the classic case of foreign and local capital coming together in one of the more entrepreneurial businesses that has ever been created within the region and particularly in Barbados.
“And here we have the classic situation of delays,” he said.
“To encourage the continuance of entrepreneurialism, I believe this needs to be addressed because we have a fantastic business and business model.
“We have seen the number of people who travel on the routes and we are certain that once we get the other routes, the numbers will come on board,” Burns explained, noting that the airline was “not stealing anybody’s passengers”.
REDjet is awaiting permission from the Government of Barbados to fly to four destinations. They currently operate three routes out of Barbados.