Flights to Trinidad for Carnival

The two airports

Trinidad and Tobago has two international airports, both run by the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago:¹

• Piarco International Airport (POS) in Trinidad, east of Port of Spain. This is the one you want for Carnival.
• ANR Robinson International Airport (TAB) in Tobago.

If you find a better fare into Tobago, it can still work: Caribbean Airlines flies between the islands daily, and the tourism board puts the flight time at about 24 minutes.² In August 2026 Tobago's Chief Secretary said a new terminal at ANR Robinson was expected to open within weeks.³

Most visitors need a passport valid for six months after their departure date and an onward or return ticket, and visas are not required for most nationalities for stays of up to 90 days.⁴ Check the rules for your own passport before you book.

Airlines serving Trinidad

Routes and frequencies change often, so treat this as a starting point and confirm on each airline's website before you plan around a flight. These are the main options based on published route lists in autumn 2026.

From the United States

• Caribbean Airlines, the national airline, flies to Piarco from New York JFK, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and launched nonstop Orlando flights on 29 June 2026, four times a week.^5,6
• American Airlines flies from Miami.⁵
• United Airlines flies from Houston (daily, as reported in 2024), and has run seasonal nonstops from Newark, including a daily Newark service for the 2025 Carnival season and a Newark nonstop in summer 2026.^7,8,5
• JetBlue flies from New York JFK.⁵

From Canada

• Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines both fly from Toronto Pearson.⁵
• Caribbean Airlines has also finalised a direct Toronto to Tobago service, scheduled to run through Tobago Carnival and the national Carnival season.³

From the UK and Europe

• British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Piarco, and also serves Tobago.^5,9
• KLM returned to Trinidad in 2021 with flights from Amsterdam.^10,5
• Condor has seasonal flights from Frankfurt to Tobago.⁹

From the Caribbean and Latin America

• Caribbean Airlines connects Piarco with much of the region, including Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname.⁵
• Copa Airlines flies to Port of Spain from its Panama City hub, a useful connection from Latin America.¹¹
• Regional carriers such as interCaribbean (Barbados), LIAT20 (Antigua), Winair (St Maarten) and Contour Airlines (Dominica, from October 2026) add more options.⁵

When to book

Carnival is the busiest travel period of the year for Trinidad. Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February 2027 are the parade days, J'ouvert starts before dawn on the Monday, and Dimanche Gras is on Sunday 7 February. Ash Wednesday, 10 February, is when a huge wave of visitors flies home.

• Book as early as you can. Once you have chosen your band and accommodation, book your flight. Seats into Piarco in the days before Carnival are in high demand.
• Arrive a few days early. Aim to land by midweek before Carnival so a delay does not cost you the big weekend, and so you can catch the fetes, pan yards and competitions that build to it.
• Think about Ash Wednesday. Leaving on Ash Wednesday is convenient but expensive. Compare fares for Thursday or later, which also gives you time to rest (or head to the beach) before the flight.
• Watch for extra flights. Airlines sometimes add capacity for the season. United added a daily Newark service for Carnival 2025, and Caribbean Airlines added 72 extra domestic flights between the islands for the July and August 2026 peak.^7,12
• Consider Tobago as a gateway. If Piarco fares are high, compare flights into Tobago and connect on the domestic air bridge, leaving a buffer day.

When you land

Have your accommodation address ready for immigration, use the authorised taxis outside arrivals or a pre-booked transfer, and agree the fare before you leave the kerb.² Our getting around guide covers the trip into town, and our money guide explains cash, cards and SIMs.