Sunrise Airways has formalized a new partnership with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at improving intra-regional air travel across the Caribbean.
The MoU was signed on July 31, 2025, at the OECS Commission’s headquarters in Castries, Saint Lucia, by Philippe Bayard, founder and chairman of Sunrise Airways, and Dr. Didacus Jules, director general of the OECS Commission.
At the public signing ceremony, Bayard emphasized the urgency of addressing the region’s aviation challenges:
“For too long, our greatest challenge has not been geography. It has been fragmentation and disconnection. It is still easier to fly from many Caribbean islands to North America or Europe than to reach a neighboring island just minutes away. That reality has limited trade, weakened tourism, divided families, and held back opportunity. This Memorandum of Understanding forms part of our joint response to that challenge.”
The agreement outlines four key focus areas:
Enhancing regional mobility and intra-OECS travel
Supporting economic growth through expanded trade, tourism, and educational exchanges
Promoting sustainability and resilience in the aviation sector
Facilitating technical cooperation, policy development, and innovation in air transport
Bayard described the goals of the MoU as more than aviation-related:
“These are not only aviation goals. They are development goals. Every step we take toward seamless movement – for people, goods, and ideas – expands opportunity, strengthens regional identity, and builds a foundation for shared prosperity.”
Dr. Jules echoed the sentiment, framing the collaboration as a bridge-building initiative for the region:
“Ladies and gentlemen, let us be clear—this partnership is not just about aircraft and runways. It is about building bridges in a fragmented region. It is about ensuring that our citizens can seize the opportunities that regional integration affords. And it is about making Caribbean unity something that is experienced not only in treaties and communiqués, but in everyday life.”
This MoU follows a similar strategic partnership signed by Sunrise Airways and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in May 2025 to improve humanitarian response during natural disasters in the region.
“As with our recent partnership with CDEMA, this MoU with the OECS shows that regional integration is not a distant ideal. It is a practical mission. One that requires bold policy choices, regional thinking, and cooperation with those committed to building bridges, not walls,” Bayard added. “Let us lift barriers and build bridges, not only in the sky, but in our institutions, policies, and mindsets. Let us be, together, as One Caribbean.”
Sunrise Airways CEO Gary Stone also expressed optimism about the region’s future through this new alliance:
“I firmly believe that the region possesses the potential to achieve remarkable heights in the foreseeable future, catalyzing economic growth, facilitating trade, and fostering enhanced self-reliance. We eagerly anticipate collaborating as full partners in this visionary framework for a more robust, cohesive, and prosperous Eastern Caribbean.”
