For more than four decades, flying between the islands of the Eastern Caribbean usually meant LIAT. The Antigua-based airline, owned mainly by regional governments, linked Grenada with Barbados, Trinidad, St Vincent, St Lucia, Antigua and a long chain of other islands. It was criticised constantly for delays and lost bags, but it was the network. In 2020, with the pandemic grounding its fleet and its finances already weak, LIAT went into administration and its regular network fell away.
What replaced it is a patchwork rather than a single system. Several carriers now serve Grenada on regional routes, some well established and some newer, and the network shifts more often than it used to. For entrepreneurs with clients in Port of Spain or Bridgetown, residents visiting family on neighbouring islands, or investors scouting the region, understanding that patchwork saves time and frustration. This guide explains how it fits together and how to plan around it.
Why LIAT mattered, and what its collapse changed
LIAT's value lay less in any one route than in its reach. A traveller in Grenada could reach almost any Eastern Caribbean capital with one or two stops, on one ticket, with luggage checked through. Small islands that would never attract a large airline still had scheduled service. That network effect was what regional business, government delegations, sports teams and students relied on.
When LIAT stopped flying its full network, the gaps were uneven. Routes with strong demand, especially to the big hubs of Barbados and Trinidad, were quickly covered by other airlines. Thinner routes, such as direct links between smaller islands further north, became harder or more expensive, sometimes requiring an overnight in a hub or a roundabout routing.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda later backed a successor company, and an airline branded LIAT20 has since operated some regional services, including links involving St Lucia and Grenada. Its network has been smaller than the old LIAT and has changed over time, so it is best treated as one option among several rather than a full replacement.
The carriers that have linked Grenada with the region
Caribbean Airlines. The Trinidad and Tobago state-owned airline is the backbone of Grenada's southern links, with frequent short hops to Piarco near Port of Spain and services to Barbados and St Vincent at various times. Through Trinidad it connects to Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica and several North American cities.
interCaribbean Airways. Based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, interCaribbean expanded into the Eastern Caribbean after LIAT's collapse and has flown Grenada to Barbados and other islands, often onward through its own network.
LIAT20. The successor to LIAT has operated a limited regional schedule. Check which routes are current before relying on it.
Sunrise Airways. The Haiti-based carrier has operated regional routes in the Eastern Caribbean, including links between Grenada, St Lucia and Antigua at times.
Small operators for the Grenadines. SVG Air and similar small-aircraft companies fly between Grenada, Carriacou and Union Island, and offer charters. These are the practical air links for anyone moving between Grenada and the Grenadines.
How the hub system works in practice
Regional travel from Grenada now leans heavily on two hubs. Trinidad is the shortest and usually the most frequent: the flight to Piarco takes well under an hour, and Caribbean Airlines often runs several rotations a day. Barbados is the other pivot, with more connections north through the Lesser Antilles and a wide spread of long-haul flights to the UK, Canada and the United States.
A trip from Grenada to Dominica, Antigua or St Kitts may therefore route through one of these hubs, or through St Lucia, rather than flying up the island chain. Itineraries on two airlines are common, and they come with a catch: if the tickets are separate, the second airline has no obligation to rebook you when the first flight is late, and bags may need to be collected and checked in again.
Seasonal patterns apply here as well. Regional flights fill around carnival weekends across the islands, at Christmas and during school holidays, and some carriers adjust schedules in the quieter autumn months.
Short regional sectors are also relatively expensive. A forty-minute hop can cost as much as a much longer flight within North America, because fixed costs and taxes make up a large share of the fare. Travellers within CARICOM regularly cite cost as the main barrier to moving around the region.
Planning a regional business trip from Grenada
A day of meetings in Port of Spain or Bridgetown is perfectly feasible from Grenada, but it rewards careful planning:
- Start with the hub airline. Check Caribbean Airlines for Trinidad and the carriers serving Barbados, and see which flights give you a full working day at the other end.
- Prefer a single ticket for multi-leg journeys. Where an airline or its partners can sell you the whole trip, your connection is protected if the first flight is delayed.
- Build in a buffer for anything important. For a contract signing, court appearance or board meeting, arrive the evening before rather than on the first morning flight.
- Check entry rules for your passport. CARICOM nationals have broad rights to enter member states, but other passport holders may need visas for some islands, including transit through them in certain cases.
- Know the baggage limits. Smaller aircraft, especially to Carriacou or the Grenadines, have tight weight limits for checked and cabin bags.
- Keep the return flexible. If a meeting runs long or a flight is cancelled, a flexible fare or a second option on another carrier can save a day.
- Carry printed or offline copies of bookings. Mobile data can be patchy when roaming between islands, and some regional desks still prefer to see a booking reference on paper.
Mistakes people make with regional flights
Most problems on regional journeys come from a small set of avoidable errors:
- Assuming the old LIAT routes still exist. Many online guides predate 2020. Check current schedules directly with the airlines.
- Booking tight self-connections. An hour between flights on separate tickets is risky anywhere in the region, especially with checked bags.
- Forgetting departure taxes and fees. Most are now included in ticket prices, but not always for small charter operators. Confirm what the quoted fare covers.
- Ignoring the sea option. For Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the ferry from St George's is often more practical than flying, and carries more luggage.
- Underestimating weather. Squalls and low cloud ground small aircraft more often than jets. In the rainy season, allow slack for regional legs.
- Relying on one carrier. When one airline cancels, having a second route through the other hub in mind is the quickest recovery.
The bigger picture: regional air transport as a policy question
Regional connectivity is a standing agenda item for CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. Leaders have discussed multilateral air services agreements, lower ticket taxes and better coordination between carriers for years. Progress has been gradual, and the fragmentation after 2020 has kept the issue near the top of regional meetings.
Grenada has its own reasons to care. As a member of the OECS Economic Union, it shares free movement arrangements with several neighbours, and its businesses sell services, food products and education across the region. A student from St Vincent at T.A. Marryshow Community College, a Grenadian lawyer appearing before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in another member state, and a nutmeg exporter meeting buyers in Trinidad all depend on regional flights that are frequent and affordable. When fares rise or routes vanish, those links weaken, and integration on paper becomes harder in practice.
For anyone basing a regional business in Grenada, the realistic expectation is a network that works but needs managing. Trinidad and Barbados are reliable gateways; direct links to smaller islands come and go. Flexibility, buffer time and a willingness to route through a hub are the habits that make regional travel from Grenada workable.
Frequently asked questions
Does LIAT still fly to Grenada?
The original LIAT entered administration in 2020 and stopped operating its regular network. A successor airline backed by Antigua and Barbuda, branded LIAT20, has since operated a limited set of regional routes. Check its current schedule directly, as the network has been smaller and less stable than the old one.
What is the quickest way to fly from Grenada to Trinidad?
Caribbean Airlines flies between Maurice Bishop International and Piarco, near Port of Spain, usually several times a day. The flight takes well under an hour. Because Trinidad is the airline's home base, it is also a useful connection point for Guyana, Suriname and several North American cities.
Is it expensive to fly between Caribbean islands?
Often, yes, relative to distance. Short regional flights carry high fixed costs, airport charges and taxes, so a forty-minute hop can cost more than a much longer domestic flight elsewhere. Booking early, travelling midweek and comparing carriers through different hubs can help keep fares down.
Can travellers fly from Grenada directly to St Lucia or Antigua?
At times, yes. Regional carriers including LIAT20 and Sunrise Airways have linked Grenada with St Lucia and Antigua, but these routes have changed frequently since 2020. If no direct option is running, connections through Barbados are the usual alternative.
How do people fly from Grenada to Carriacou?
Small-aircraft operators such as SVG Air fly between Maurice Bishop International and Lauriston Airport on Carriacou. Flights are short but baggage limits are strict and schedules depend on demand and weather. Many residents use the passenger ferry from St George's instead, especially when carrying luggage.
