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Parliament Ratifies Air Services Agreement With Saudi Arabia as Antigua Positions Itself as Regional Aviation Hub
Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament has ratified a new Air Services Agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Araba, a bilateral treaty that establishes a modern legal framework for airline operations, route rights, and aviation cooperation between the two nations.
The resolution, presented by Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Charles Max Fernandez, was signed in Montreal on September 24, 2025, during the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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Fernandez said the agreement forms part of Antigua and Barbuda’s broader plan to expand global air connectivity by partnering with emerging aviation markets in the Middle East.
“This agreement represents a continuing effort by Antigua and Barbuda to expand its air services connectivity with the emerging Gulf states,” Fernandez told lawmakers.
“We already have agreements with the UAE and Qatar, and now with Saudi Arabia, as the Saudis embark on an aggressive program to expand their aviation and airport infrastructure.”
The minister noted that Saudi Arabia is constructing a 22-square-mile international airport, part of its effort to become a major global hub for passenger and cargo traffic.
He said that Middle Eastern airlines are increasingly looking toward the Caribbean as the next frontier for route development and investment.
“What is happening, Mr. Speaker, is that the Caribbean is now becoming an area where these Middle Eastern airlines are looking to move through,” Fernandez said.
“We are positioning Antigua as a hub for the rest of the Caribbean, and that is where airlines like LIAT come in — so that passengers can land here and connect seamlessly to the other islands.
If you want to have a true hub, you must have regional connectivity anchored at your airport.”
Fernandez explained that the agreement provides a liberalized legal framework governing the operation of airlines, including “fifth freedom” traffic rights, which allow designated carriers to make commercial stopovers in third countries, improving the viability of long-haul routes.
It also includes provisions for codesharing, enabling airlines to expand their reach through shared services and ticketing, and incorporates updated aviation safety and security standards consistent with international conventions.
He added that the signing also reflects growing investment interest from Middle Eastern partners in Antigua and Barbuda’s aviation and tourism sectors. “Just yesterday,” the minister revealed, “I showed the Prime Minister a letter of intent from a group out of Dubai.
They are proposing to redevelop the old terminal building at V.C. Bird International Airport into a facility for aircraft maintenance and repair, and to explore flight training operations to serve both Middle Eastern and Caribbean airlines.”
Fernandez highlighted that Antigua and Barbuda’s aviation sector continues to benefit from strong local expertise, noting that Antiguan-born aviation executive Miguel Southwell, who has served as CEO of major airports in Atlanta, Miami, Haiti, Jamaica, and Africa, is currently acting as CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority.
“He’s now helping to ensure that the next CEO at the airport will be an Antiguan,” Fernandez said, emphasizing the importance of local leadership in a growing international aviation network.
The motion was approved without objection after Fernandez read the full text of the resolution, which ratifies the treaty under the Ratification of Treaties Act, Cap. 364.
Speaker Osbert Fredrick declared, “The resolution has successfully passed through this House.”
The government expects the agreement to boost tourism, cargo, and investment opportunities, while positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a strategic bridge between the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Officials said the accord also complements the country’s long-term goal of establishing Antigua as a modern air transport hub serving both regional and transcontinental markets.
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