Antigua and Barbuda operates two airports. V.C. Bird International Airport on Antigua sits 8 kilometers northeast of St. John's and handles all international commercial traffic. Barbuda Codrington Airport receives only small aircraft from Antigua on scheduled domestic routes. V.C. Bird International opened in 1942 as a United States military facility and transitioned to civilian use in 1948. The terminal underwent expansion in 2015. Direct flights arrive from the United States via American Airlines from Miami and Charlotte, Delta from New York JFK and Atlanta, and JetBlue from New York JFK and Boston. United Airlines operates seasonal service from Newark. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic connect London Gatwick. Air Canada flies from Toronto. Regional carriers LIAT and InterCaribbean Airways link the airport to neighboring Caribbean islands including Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Kitts.
Immigration queues at V.C. Bird International average 20 to 45 minutes during peak afternoon arrivals when North American flights converge. Two queues separate citizens of Antigua and Barbuda from visitors. Officers stamp passports and record entry dates manually. The arrival hall contains one baggage carousel. Customs inspection follows baggage claim. Officers question travelers about goods for commercial resale and occasionally open bags for physical inspection. The airport prohibits importation of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and soil without agricultural permits. Travelers exit into a small arrivals area with car rental counters, a taxi dispatcher booth, and tour operator representatives.
Taxi service from V.C. Bird International to St. John's costs 12 to 15 Eastern Caribbean dollars. Fares to English Harbour run 60 to 70 Eastern Caribbean dollars and to the western resort area of Jolly Harbour approximately 50 Eastern Caribbean dollars. The government sets maximum taxi rates displayed on signs near the dispatcher booth. Drivers expect payment in Eastern Caribbean dollars or United States dollars at a 2.7:1 conversion rate that disadvantages passengers against the official 2.68:1 fixed exchange rate. No metered taxis exist. Rental car agencies Avis, Budget, Hertz, and local operator Drive-a-Matic maintain airport counters. A temporary Antigua and Barbuda driving permit costs 50 Eastern Caribbean dollars and requires presentation of a valid license from the visitor's home country. The permit purchase happens at the rental counter. Driving occurs on the left side of the road following British convention.
Barbuda Codrington Airport operates daylight hours only. Barbuda Express and ABM Air Services fly 15-minute hops from Antigua several times daily. The single runway measures 1,130 meters. Hurricane Irma destroyed the terminal building in September 2017. A temporary structure replaced it. The Barbuda ferry service Barbuda Express departed from Heritage Quay in St. John's three times weekly before suspending operations in 2023 due to vessel mechanical issues. Service resumption remains unscheduled. Charter boat operators in St. John's and Jolly Harbour negotiate private crossings to Barbuda. The passage takes 90 minutes in favorable conditions. Ocean swells in the channel between the islands reach 2 meters regularly.
The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the sole legal tender in Antigua and Barbuda. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in St. Kitts issues currency for eight member states. The exchange rate fixes at 2.68 Eastern Caribbean dollars to 1 United States dollar since 1976. Banks, hotels, and most businesses accept United States dollars at 2.70 to 1 or worse. Visitors lose money on every transaction not conducted in Eastern Caribbean dollars. ATMs dispense only Eastern Caribbean dollars. First Caribbean International Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Antigua Commercial Bank, and Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank operate networks across Antigua. Barbuda has one bank branch in Codrington. ATM withdrawal limits range from 500 to 1,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars per transaction. International cards on Visa, Mastercard, Plus, and Cirrus networks function at most machines. Transaction fees charged by home banks typically add 2 to 3 percent plus flat fees of 3 to 5 United States dollars.
Currency exchange occurs at banks during business hours from 0800 to 1400 Monday through Thursday and 0800 to 1600 Friday. Some banks open Saturday mornings. Banks require passport presentation for exchange transactions. No dedicated currency exchange bureaus exist outside the airport. The V.C. Bird International Airport terminal contains one FirstCaribbean International Bank branch and one independent exchange window both operating during flight arrival times. Exchange rates at the airport consistently underperform rates at bank branches in St. John's by 2 to 4 percent. Hotels exchange currency for guests at rates 5 to 8 percent worse than banks.
Credit cards see wide acceptance at hotels, restaurants catering to tourists, car rental agencies, and tour operators. Visa and Mastercard dominate. American Express acceptance is inconsistent. Discover cards rarely work. Small restaurants, roadside vendors, public buses, and shops in local neighborhoods operate cash-only. A 3 percent credit card surcharge appears on bills at some businesses. Merchants post this policy inconsistently. Contactless payment and mobile wallet adoption remains minimal outside large resort properties.