History

Grantley Adams International Airport is strategically situated on the eastern fringe of the Caribbean basin and forms one of the most critical links in the region’s aviation infrastructure.
The forerunner of Grantley Adams International Airport was Seawell Airport which came into being in 1956 after a Royal Netherlands Airlines (KLM) plane landed on a grass runway in 1939. In 1940/41, the Barbados government recognised that a paved runway was necessary for the country to maintain a link with the outside world.

The new building was completed in 1956, and though it served Barbados well for 23 years, it quickly became outdated due to the rapid increase in air traffic.

The present air traffic control tower was completed in 1976. Later that same year, the airport was renamed “Grantley Adams International Airport” in honour of Sir Grantley Adams, Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation and now a National Hero of Barbados.