It is goodbye to the old and hello to the new as the new Bermuda Airport terminal opens today, Wednesday 9 December.

The days of terminal supplied umbrellas and plastic ponchos are long gone and no longer will passengers have to tread with care through heavy rain when using steps to board or disembark their flight. Nor will the airline crew have to struggle to open the doors during strong winds.

The state-of-the-art new terminal is fully equipped with air bridges and jetways to link the aircraft to the terminal and the facility is designed to be more resistant to extreme weather conditions.

The opening of the terminal also coincides with the resumption of the British Airways (BA) flight from London, which has been suspended for more than a month and is the new terminal is set to welcome the first flight in the coming days. BA offers the only flight from the eastern hemisphere to Bermuda.

We are now all hopeful that the COVID-19 pandemic will be under control in the next few months, particularly with news of the first vaccines in the world being given out in the UK this week.

As a result, hopefully, Bermuda will be able to welcome more businesspeople through its new terminal, providing a boost for the Bermuda economy and its residents.

Robert O’Neill, Managing Director at Bermuda Forwarders (UK), said: “The opening of the new airport terminal is fantastic news for Bermuda and travellers to Bermuda, and the fact that it coincides with the return of the British Airways flight from London shortly is great news in what has been a challenging year for everyone.

“One thing’s for sure, they’ll be no change to the Bermuda welcome that travellers receive from the gracious and smiling staff who work at the terminal.”