Chief Executive Officer of Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) Inc., Hadley Bourne, says in addition to the money already pumped into upgrading Concorde Experience, plans are in train to utilise it as a commercial centre.
He was responding to a query from Member of Parliament for Christ Church West, Dr William Duguid, about planned use for the grounded aircraft, especially since Barbados was among “four or five countries” with a Concorde.
The team from the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, led by Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill, was in the Well of the House of Assembly as debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2026 continued.
The ministry has been allocated $31 572 453 under Head 27.
Bourne said coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley had suggested using it as a testing area, but he indicated to both her and then Minister, Senator Lisa Cummins, there were other plans for the facility.
“We recognised, that within the main terminal and the growth in the air-to-sea sector, that the terminal was really over capacity. So we initially spent – in the previous financial year – $6 million in renovating the facility to seat between six and eight hundred passengers. That proved to be quite successful and I think we’ve actually increased the capacity to 900 seats this year,” he said.
Bourne said the stakeholders and those in the cruise sector in particular were happy with the work that was done, adding that chairman of the Barbados Port Inc., David Jean-Marie, could attest to this.
New radar and airspace management technology planned for the Grantley Adams International Airport is expected to help air traffic controllers manage the growing volume of aircraft entering Barbados’ airspace, says Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill.
Responding to questions on airport expansion during the Appropriation Bill, 2026, Gooding-Edghill told the House of Assembly that the introduction of modern aviation equipment would improve safety and efficiency while helping controllers handle congestion caused by record airlift.
“One of the things that we often forget is not to explain what this equipment means,” he said, noting that a key component of the upgrade was a monopulse secondary surveillance radar (MSSR) system valued at about $7.2 million, along with other aviation technology funded through a $17 million programme supported by the CAF Development Bank.
“These pieces of equipment help facilitate the air traffic controllers to have a much more appreciative and controlled action within the airspace,” explained Grantley Adams International Airport CEO Hadley Bourne, who provided technical details on the system.
The update comes just days after operations at the Grantley Adams International Airport were disrupted on Saturday when a sickout by air traffic controllers forced a temporary shutdown of Barbados’ airspace.
The disruption halted inbound and outbound flights for about seven and a half hours, resulting in cancellations, diversions and delays affecting several international services.
Among those affected were flights operated by American Airlines, while a JetBlue service from New York returned to JFK and an Air Canada flight turned back to Canada before the airspace was reopened later that afternoon, following emergency talks between Government officials and union representatives.
Bourne said the radar system would allow controllers to track aircraft targets on screen and manage spacing between planes, particularly during busy periods.
“What must be taken into consideration is before they get on the ground, there’s actually congestion in the airspace,” he said, adding that the system provided controllers with clearer information to ensure aircraft moved “in a safe and orderly, notwithstanding the expeditious movement of aircraft” .
The equipment upgrade forms part of a wider expansion programme at the airport as Barbados’ airlift strategy continues to drive record visitor arrivals.
Gooding-Edghill said that the airport – built about 40 years ago – was not designed to accommodate the volume of passengers and aircraft now using the facility.
“We have, frankly, outpaced in terms of volume what is required at the Grantley Adams International Airport,” he said.
The airport recently recorded 2.4 million passengers moving through the facility, the highest throughput in its history.
“That again is another record for the Grantley Adams International Airport and for Barbados as a tourism island,” the minister added.
The surge in traffic has placed pressure on infrastructure, particularly on weekends.
“On occasion we will have maybe two aircraft lining up behind each other,” Gooding-Edgehill said, noting that apron space was increasingly constrained as commercial aircraft, cargo flights, private jets and regional carriers competed for limited parking positions.
To address the situation, Government plans to undertake a $120 million first phase expansion of the airport to increase capacity and improve supporting services.
But infrastructure upgrades are only part of the response.
Officials say significant investments are also being made in equipment to improve aircraft handling and passenger services.
Chief executive officer of Caribbean Aircraft Handling, Lemuel Padmore, told lawmakers that peak arrival periods between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. could see about 15 aircraft arriving, moving nearly 3 000 passengers and roughly 4 500 bags in either direction during that window.
The West Indies won over Barbados $1 million for their performances at the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India. The ICC on Wednesday morning announced the disbursement of prize money after India won their second consecutive title with victory over New Zealand in the final.
West Indies topped their preliminary group and reached the Super 8s stage but could not advance to the semi-finals. They had wins over Scotland, England, Nepal and Italy in the prelims and over Zimbabwe in the Super 8s. They were defeated by South Africa and India in the Super 8s and bowed out at that stage.
The ICC announced that following the successful conclusion of the marquee global event, the final distribution of the tournament’s US$11.25 million players’ prize money pool, in line with the record-breaking increase to ICC prize money made in 2024.
All amounts represent gross prize money across the group stage, Super 8s, semi-finals and final, and are calculated prior to any applicable tax compliance or deductions. The totals reflect the base participation payment that each team receives ($225 000), final team placements, win bonuses and progression through each stage of the tournament.
Prize money distribution (US$): India – $2,639,423 New Zealand – $1,422,692 South Africa – $1,005,577 England – $974,423 West Indies – $538,269 Pakistan – $522,692 Zimbabwe – $491,538 Sri Lanka – $475,962 Afghanistan – $309,808 Australia – $309,808 USA – $309,808 Scotland – $278,654 Ireland – $271,731 Italy – $256,154 Netherlands – $256,154 UAE – $256,154 Nepal – $256,154 Canada – $225,000 Namibia – $225,000 Oman – $225,000
Barbados will be targeting new tourism markets as part of a strategy to increase visitor arrivals.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill said his ministry had developed policies focused on attracting tourists from Africa and the Gulf States and also Asia and the Pacific.
He outlined these plans yesterday during the Appropriation Bill, 2026 debate in response to questions from Minister of Sports and Community Development Charles Griffith, who asked what new tourism markets would be targeted in the new financial year.
“The only way we can continue to grow Barbados’ tourism is to seek out new and emerging markets and as a strategy and as a policy position, the ministry has taken the view that we need to go into additional markets,” Gooding-Edghill said.
“We’ve therefore taken the policy decision, to be executed and implemented by the [Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.], to go into Africa and the Gulf states, combine that as one market at this point in time and then to go into Asia and the Pacific market.
“If you look at global statistics, certainly [United Nations] tourism statistics, you will see that both Asia and the Pacific continue to represent very strong growth globally into other markets and we are working at a pace.”
The minister said that once both policy documents were submitted to his ministry, they would then be sent to Cabinet for formal notification.
“. . . We believe that if we continue to grow and build out the Asia Pacific market, as well as the Africa and Gulf states, that will present a wonderful growth opportunity for Barbados,” he said.
“So we are going to be going full steam ahead in the forthcoming financial year. There has to be a presence in the market . . . and once we get the awareness, then we move into a lot of what we call the detailed positioning of the market in order for us then to generate additional seat capacity.”
“It will take us some time to develop both markets. For example, when we went into Latin America, it took us not so long to develop market and as a result of that, we got fights coming into Barbados,” Gooding-Edghill added.
“And if we want to build out international connections, certainly between Dallas and Chicago, to specifically deal with a lot of the flights that come in from Asia to Pacific and elsewhere, it is an opportunity for us to strengthen that market.”
The Hilton Barbados Resort property, which is owned by Government, is now debt-free and valued at more than $240 million.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill announced this yesterday and suggested that hotel needed to be expanded.
He was responding to a question from Minister of Energy, Business Development and Commerce Kerrie Symmonds, who asked about plans for the Hilton.
“The Hilton is performing extremely well, . . . what I can also tell you and tell Barbados is that the Hilton is debt-free and that is a wonderful accomplishment for our country,” Gooding-Edghill said during debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2026.
“You recall it’s the Barbados Labour Party administration that imploded [the old Hilton Hotel], and there was a lot of comment and controversy at the time. But having done so, having rebuilt the property, having the property perform as well as it has done, . . . to the shareholders’ credit, the property is now debt-free.
“The last property valuation that I’m aware of is that the Hilton is valued in excess of $240 million . . . so I think that’s a wonderful accomplishment, not only for this Barbados Labour Party Government, but for the people of Barbados,” he said.
“And yes, we need further expansion there and when you have a property that is debt-free, you have a number of opportunities that you can leverage the asset in order to grow capacity there. Based on the occupancy rates, I’m sure that they would like to have some additional rooms.”
Gooding-Edghill added that “it was the first time in the history of the Hilton that they paid a dividend”.
Debra Hughes, chief executive officer of Needhams Point Holdings Limited, (NPHL) confirmed the Hilton property’s significantly improved financial performance.
“With respect to the Hilton Barbados Resort, which is our chief source of revenue at NPHL, since COVID the hotel has performed extremely well,” she said.
“We actually went from a position of loss in 2022 to a very good profit in 2025, our revenues have increased over that same period by 108 per cent, our occupancy is 81 or so per cent, which in our competitive set, is probably the best of similar hotels that we compare ourselves to, and our [average daily rate] has increased by 41 per cent.”
“We don’t have any debt. Our board took the decision to retire our debt early, which has resulted in an interest saving of about $3.5 million. So we are now in a position to use that cash flow to start to improve the public areas of the hotel.”
Hughes also said improvements were underway at the hotel which is about 20 years old, noting that “we’ve already done all of the guest rooms”.
“Last year through to this year, we did a complete refurbishment of the ballroom and meeting rooms, but areas like the lobby and the pool deck and the lighthouse restaurant, they’re all slated for refurbishment over the next year or two. So we are very happy with the way that the hotel is operating,” she said.
NASSAU – Prime Minister Phillip Davis says crime figures in the country are “moving in the right direction” and that he is pleased “we are breaking the back of crime in The Bahamas”.
Prime Minister praised the work of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), noting that homicides are down 26 per cent, armed robberies are down 39 per cent, while housebreakings have been cut nearly in half.
“Overall major crime across this country is down 15 per cent. Those are the official figures from the Royal Bahamas Police Force. We are breaking the back of crime in The Bahamas.”
Davis said that the situation had improved because the government had put funds and resources into getting the crime situation down.
He said 787 new police officers are now on the streets, and more than a 1 000 CCTV cameras deployed.
“New bail reform and anti-gang legislation, 366 illegal firearms seized in a single year. Over 260 new Defence Force marines, new patrol vessels, and new technology to protect our borders. And new rehabilitative programmes in our correctional facility to reduce reoffending and give people a second chance.
“We brought everyone to the table. The church, Civil society, Community organisations. Every arm of government. Because no government fights crime alone. It takes a whole country.
And we invested in the next generation. The National Youth Guard has graduated over 400 young Bahamians with discipline, skills, and purpose. Because the most powerful thing we can do to fight crime is give a young person a future.”
But while he was pleased with the current situation, Prime Minister Davis said he wanted to address “those who think they can continue to terrorise our communities.
“We are coming for you. We have more officers on the streets than ever before. We have cameras watching. We have ShotSpotter listening. We have intelligence working around the clock. And we have a 65 percent murder clearance rate, which means if you take a life in this country, the chances are we will find you and you will face justice.
“Every illegal firearm you carry, we will seize. Every criminal network you build, we will dismantle. Every community you try to hold hostage, we will take back. That is not a threat. That is a promise from this government to the Bahamian people.”
Prime Minister Davis said that the days of criminals “operating with impunity in The Bahamas are coming to an end” and that he “will not rest until every Bahamian, in every community, in every island of this country, can walk their streets without fear.
“I am not here to take a victory lap. There are families who have lost loved ones. There are Bahamians who still do not feel safe. I carry that with me every day. We still have work to do.
But for the first time, the direction is right. Real progress is underway. And we are going to build on it. Not rest on it. Build on it.
“We are breaking the back of crime, and we will not let anyone break what we are building,” he told the law enforcement officials. (CMC)
The Latin America and Caribbean economy will grow by 2.1 per cent this year.
That is the prediction of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which called the projection “a gradual slowdown compared to the region’s 2.2 per cent growth in 2025” and said it came at a time of global uncertainty and persistent challenges.
The IDB’s new macroeconomic report, Resilience And Growth Prospects In A Shifting Global Economy, said the region’s economies were generally resilient, but that “accelerating inclusive growth will demand sound macroeconomic frameworks and bold structural reforms, alongside efforts to harness opportunities in technology and commodities, amid growing global risks”.
Laura Alfaro Maykall, IDB chief economist and economic counselor, said: “Latin America and the Caribbean navigated global uncertainty with resilience, supported by fiscal and monetary frameworks that have helped contain inflation and sustain macroeconomic stability.
“Looking ahead, countries have to accelerate productivity-led growth, strengthen public finances, and seize new opportunities from digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and the energy to raise living standards and build more resilient and inclusive economies.”
The mutilateral development bank noted that labour markets in the region “have sustained low unemployment, inflation has been largely contained, and investor confidence has improved, as reflected in historically low borrowing costs, with the median sovereign spread falling to 209 basis points at the end of 2025, down from 268 in 2019”.
However, it added that “despite these gains, growth remains insufficient to close income gaps, public-debt levels are high, and higher interest payments are placing increasing pressure on public finances and external accounts”.
The IDB believed that the region “is uniquely positioned to turn rapid technological advances and global energy needs into engines of growth”.
The report said that labour market conditions improved markedly in 2025, with unemployment rates falling in most countries between June 2024 and June 2025, and joblessness nearing its lowest levels in recent years.
It also stated that while women’s participation in the labour force has surged, growth remains constrained by modest productivity gains and demographic shifts that are slowing the expansion of the working-age population.
This meant that “sustaining growth will increasingly depend on productivity gains and upgrading skills”.
“Expanding access to digital training and supporting workers’ transitions into higher-productivity occupations will be essential as labour markets evolve,” the IDB said.
The report said that the region’s fiscal policy was entering a challenging phase, “requiring urgent strengthening of fundamentals”.
“Public debt remains above pre-2020 benchmarks, interest payments are rising, and fiscal consolidation has weakened,” the IDB reported.
“Average public debt in the region stands at 59 per cent of GDP, with projections ranging between 57 per cent and 66 per cent of GDP by 2028 under baseline and stress scenarios.”
On inflation, the IDB said that while this “has largely returned to target across much of the region, higher global interest rates, shifting expectations, and the growing use of digital and foreign-currency assets are reshaping the monetary-policy landscape”.
The report underscored that policies promoting stronger competition, improved skills formation, deeper regional integration, and the development of more sophisticated regional value chains could significantly boost productivity, and should remain at the centre of Latin America and the Caribbean’s policy agendas. (SC/PR)
When Manchester City line up against Real Madrid at the historic Bernabeu Stadium tonight, a slender, sure-footed six-footer with Bajan roots will be in the cauldron. Max Alleyne, a 20-year-old centre back, will be in the squad for the English powerhouses.
Max comes from a rich sporting family. His father, Mark Alleyne, is a former England cricketer who learned the game when he went to Harrison College. He was a standout player and captain at Gloucestershire County Club and is now the head coach.
Mark’s aunt is Anna Shepherd, former champion national netballer and head coach, who also played basketball for Barbados. She is the sister of Mark’s father, the late Euclid “Big Al” Alleyne, who was a stalwart for Yorkshire in local cricket circles.
MIDWEEK SPORT caught up with Mark in South Africa, where Gloucestershire are on their pre-season tour and camp, and he expressed delight that Max would get the chance to fulfil his dream of being involved on such a massive sporting stage.
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There could be more exits from the beleaguered Democratic Labour Party (DLP) along with additional challenges to rebuild, says political scientist Devaron Bruce.
Bruce is warning that the resignation of Dr Dawn-Marie Armstrong from the DLP might only be the beginning of a new wave of departures as the opposition party continues to grapple with what he describes as a deep leadership vacuum.
He said the latest exit reflects wider instability within the party and suggested the coming months could bring further resignations if fundamental issues about its direction and leadership were not addressed.
Another political scientist Dr George Belle, on the other hand, said Armstrong’s move shows just how difficult it will be for the Dems to dig deep in their focus on rebuilding.
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A 35-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida has been charged with attempted murder following a shooting at the home of pop superstar Rihanna, prosecutors said.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz is accused of firing a semiautomatic rifle at the singer’s Los Angeles mansion at 13:15 local time (21:15 GMT) on Sunday.
No one was injured in the shooting. Ortiz is being held on bail set at $1.875m (£1.395m), facing a possible life sentence.
Police are investigating the motive for the attack that took place while Rihanna and her rapper partner A$AP Rocky were at the home, the BBC’s US news partner CBS reports.
Ortiz has been accused of driving up to the front of the house and firing the weapon multiple times at it, before fleeing.
Her white Tesla was located about eight miles (12km) from the singer’s home at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping centre, where the woman was taken into custody.
“Opening fire in any populated neighbourhood is extremely dangerous, puts lives at risk and will be fully prosecuted,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
Prosecutors noted that there were people in Rihanna’s home as well as the property adjacent to it at the time of the shooting.
“This careless violence will not be tolerated in our community. Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons,” Hochman added.
Ortiz faces multiple other charges including ten felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper.
According to CBS, the LAPD has found a series of posts on her social media mentioning Rihanna.
In one post on X, Ortiz wrote: “Are you there? … say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I’m not at.”
Video from the singer’s address shows suitcases being wheeled away on the day after the shooting.
The Barbados-born celebrity, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, rose to prominence in the 2000s with hits like Pon de Replay and Umbrella.
She shares three children with partner A$AP Rocky, who last February was found not guilty of firing a gun at a former friend, in a trial that saw Rihanna bring her two sons to court. (BBC)
