"Strong numbers": BermudAir CEO Adam Scott on Canada push as airline unveils summer expansion

BermudAir’s CEO says the startup airline is seeing growth among all its routes – including those flying out of Canada.

“We're particularly pleased with our Canadian network,” said Adam Scott in a recent telephone interview with PAX. “We’ve had a really strong level of interest and strong numbers coming out of Canada.”

He said that that enthusiasm from Canada has been helpful for the airline, and that they have the right-sized aircrafts and frequency of flights to make them relevant to their audience.

And yes, he thinks that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada have contributed to Canadians looking elsewhere to vacation, including to Bermuda.

Bermuda’s flag carrier entered the Canadian market last year with direct flights to the British island territory out of Toronto and Halifax. 

The routes utilize Embraer E175 aircraft, which features a dual-class cabin, with 14 seats in a business cabin and 52 seats in an economy cabin.

BermudAir, earlier this year, expanded to Montreal, and at the start of summer, it announced its fourth aircraft —a modern Embraer E190 named “XBTO” (named in honour of XBTO Group, a global digital asset and financial services firm with strong ties to Bermuda).

Just recently, the airline loaded its flights into Amadeus under carrier code 2T. 

The integration follows BermudAir's launch on Sabre in March, expanding distribution access for travel advisors and online travel agencies across North America.

Expanded summer schedule

In 2026, the airline will launch an expanded summer schedule, offering as many as three dozen flights weekly from a record 11 North American gateways.

Out of Toronto, BermudAir will see a 15 per cent rise in capacity with six weekly flights. Flights to Bermuda from Halifax, meanwhile, will increase to three times per week.

READ MORE: BermudAir celebrates one year of “soaring to new heights”

The airline also offers inclusive air, hotel and experience packages through BermudAir Holidays, which includes golf, family, and short-break getaways.

The operator’s golf packages, in particular, are worth noting – Scott said BermudAir Holidays is the first operator to offer tee times at the Mid Ocean Club, a private, 6,520 yard, 18-hole golf course in Tucker's Town – “one the best courses in the world.”

"We’re completely rebuilding and improving our platform, working closely with hotels to promote year-round accessibility and offers,” Scott told PAX.

Close connections

Speaking with PAX, Scott noted that Bermuda is the closest palm-tree getaway outside of the southern United States — and more Canadians seem to be discovering it.

In October, The Bermuda Tourism Authority, at their Bermuda Partnership Summit, reported that visits to the archipelago are up over 30 per cent from central Ontario, year-over-year.

Air visits from Nova Scotia, notably, are up a whopping 85.3 per cent year-over-year.

Currently, BermudAir flies out of Toronto five times a week, Montreal twice weekly, and out of Halifax, once a week.

Scott said Toronto and Halifax continue to be strong markets, Montreal is gaining momentum, and the airline is certainly eyeing further growth across Canada.

Bermuda and Canada have historically had a close connection – especially in Nova Scotia, where many Bermudians go for secondary education and form bonds.

That has proven to be a strong driver for flight traffic to Halifax, Scott said. "People get married, have families…we have a lot of connections in Nova Scotia,” he said.  

Several Bermudian firms maintain support staff and other business connections in Halifax, he noted, which makes the Atlantic Canada market even more significant.

So it isn’t only leisure travel fuelling BermudAir’s success. “For us, it’s a third leisure, a third VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) and a third business,” Scott said.

At the moment, the airline is focused on the launch of AnguillAir, a spinoff airline that will go from Boston and Baltimore to Anguilla beginning in December, with the potential to add Canadian flights later.

Following the demand

The airline hopes to remain nimble when it comes to expansion in Canada.

“I think our strategy is really agnostic to (Canada),” Scott said. “It’s more about where we see demand and where we see opportunities to develop new markets and to foster that connectivity.”

Scott pointed out that BermudAir has its own team to grow out travel trade with Canada, and the area is of growing importance for the company.

He sees the travel trade closely linked with their BermudAir Holidays program, which presents opportunities to package hotels with flights and golf experiences.

That said, the mission isn’t without its obstacles. One issue is the seasonal demand for Bermuda, where bookings can drop off in the shoulder months.

 “We have a big seasonality challenge,” Scott said during a panel on the state of the airline industry at the Bermuda Partnership Summit. “But that is the opportunity for us.”

Scott hopes to promote Bermuda as a year-round destination, noting that a rainy day on the island is still much better than a -20 degrees Celsius day in Canada.

He said many people remain unaware of Bermuda and its unique qualities, and he believes that can change.

“It’s the jewel of the Atlantic,” he said. “Part of its charm is in its quaintness, beauty, stones walls, villages…it has the business acumen and complexity of the United States, but it has the cleanliness, organization and safety of Canada.”

“I think when Canadians come to Bermuda, they’ll feel at home and at ease.”

The airline hopes to differentiate itself from other airlines with its hospitality, Scott said, which can act as a teaser for what visitors will likely experience once in Bermuda.

He said the airline is authentically Bermudian, and its staff are proud of what they do and treat passengers with civility, which he says you don’t see as frequently now in the industry.

Passengers (for example) can get a proper dark and stormy in a real glass during the flight, and don’t have to worry about middle seats because there are none.

“When you get on a BermudAir flight, you’re already on holiday,” Scott said. “You’re already in Bermuda.”

With files from Michael Pihach.

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