What began as a bold experiment to place Anguilla more firmly on the international travel map is now being presented by Government as one of the island’s strongest tourism success stories in recent years.
Standing in the House of Assembly this week, Hon. Minister José Vanterpool, mounted a firm defence of Government’s partnership with BermudAir under the AnguillAir brand, arguing that the initiative has already delivered significant economic returns only months after its launch.
According to the Minister, the service — which officially began operations in December 2025 — has generated an estimated US$11.5 million in direct economic activity for Anguilla between December 2025 and April 2026, while transporting nearly 7,900 passengers to and from the island.
For an island where tourism remains the lifeblood of the economy, the figures are being framed not simply as aviation statistics, but as evidence of a wider ripple effect touching hotels, restaurants, villas, taxis, shops and small businesses.
“Through the AnguillAir brand, Anguilla has gained increased visibility, enhanced destination marketing, and stronger brand recognition in key international markets,” Minister Vanterpool told the House. “Every AnguillAir aircraft, advertisement, booking platform, and promotional campaign serves as an extension of Anguilla’s tourism presence abroad.”
His remarks painted the partnership as far more than an airline arrangement. Instead, Government sees it as a strategic attempt to strengthen Anguilla’s visibility in lucrative tourism markets while making travel to the island easier and more competitive.
For many Anguillians, improved air access has long been viewed as one of the island’s biggest economic hurdles. Travellers often face lengthy connections and expensive regional transfers before reaching Anguilla’s shores. Government believes AnguillAir is beginning to change that narrative.
Minister Vanterpool stressed that the US$11.5 million estimate was not political guesswork, but was based on recognised tourism and economic modelling methods that measured passenger arrivals, visitor spending habits and average lengths of stay.
“The US$11.5 million figure is not an arbitrary estimate or political talking point,” he stated. “It is derived from actual passenger volumes, established tourism spending metrics, and recognized economic methodology used throughout the tourism industry.”
The assessment reportedly included visitor spending on accommodation, dining, transportation, excursions, entertainment, retail purchases and other tourism-related services, alongside Government revenue collected through taxes and airport-related fees.
In December 2025, AnguillAir’s estimated economic contribution stood at approximately US$1.04 million. By January 2026, the figure had more than doubled to US$2.34 million. February brought an estimated US$2.45 million, March climbed to US$2.77 million, and April approached US$2.9 million.
“This steady month-over-month growth is particularly important because it demonstrates that the routes were not a short-lived promotional spike, but rather a maturing and strengthening airlift product,” the Minister explained.
The Government also sought to directly address concerns that the service may simply have diverted passengers away from existing airlines rather than creating new business for Anguilla.
According to commercial analysis cited by Minister Vanterpool, roughly 80 per cent of AnguillAir passengers represented newly stimulated travel demand.
“In other words, the flights expanded the market,” he said. “They brought new visitors to Anguilla.”
The numbers released in the House suggest the impact may already be visible in some of Anguilla’s most valuable tourism markets.
Minister Vanterpool repeatedly emphasised that the Government’s involvement was never intended to become an unlimited financial obligation. Instead, he described the arrangement as a carefully targeted, time-bound investment designed to help launch strategically important routes during the critical winter tourism season.
He argued that the economic returns generated have significantly outweighed the level of Government support provided.
The strongest-performing routes so far have reportedly been Boston and Newark, both key gateways to Anguilla’s high-spending northeastern United States visitor market. According to the Ministry’s assessment, travellers from those areas tend to stay longer and spend more during their visits.
“The success of these routes has now positioned Anguilla to move beyond simple route preservation into route expansion,” Vanterpool said.
As a result, the Government is now recommending continuation of AnguillAir services for Winter 2026, expansion into Summer 2027 and increased flight frequencies on the Boston and Newark routes.
At the same time, the Minister sought to reassure the public that the AnguillAir arrangement does not signal the start of blanket airline subsidies.
“As stated previously in this House, the AnguillAir arrangement was treated as a unique strategic case due to the importance of direct connectivity to Anguilla’s core tourism markets,” he said.
He added that any future partnerships would continue to be evaluated individually based on economic returns, tourism priorities and long-term sustainability.
“We will not support routes that do not demonstrate strategic value,” he stated. “We will not enter into reckless or open-ended commitments.”
Only a few months ago, AnguillAir was still viewed by many as a risky and uncertain venture. Now, the Government of Anguilla is presenting it as proof that strategic airlift investment can produce measurable economic gains for a tourism-dependent island competing for global attention.
Concluding his statement, Minister Vanterpool declared, “The AnguillAir initiative has now moved beyond a concept…It has become a proven contributor to Anguilla’s economic growth and tourism resilience.”
By Janissa Fleming
