<p>V.C. Bird International Airport (airport code <strong>ANU</strong>) is the main gateway to Antigua and Barbuda and the only international airport in the country. It sits at Coolidge on the northeast side of Antigua, about 8 km (5 miles) from the capital, <a href="/destinations/st-johns">St. John's</a>, so most visitors are on a beach within half an hour of clearing immigration. If you are coming to explore Antigua's famous 365 beaches, this is almost certainly where your trip begins.</p><p>The airport is named after Sir Vere Cornwall Bird (1909 to 1999), the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and a central figure in the country's path to independence in 1981. It was known as Coolidge Airport in its earlier years, a name that nods to its World War II origins as a US military airfield, before being renamed in his honour.</p><p>The current terminal opened in 2015, replacing the cramped older building. It added air-conditioned halls, jet bridges, faster passenger processing and proper retail and dining space. The airport has long been the hub and headquarters of LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport), the regional carrier whose turboprops historically stitched the eastern Caribbean together, so short connections to neighbouring islands run regularly from ANU.</p><p>From the terminal, taxis are the dominant way into town and to the resort areas. Fares are government-set, zone-based flat rates: typical runs head to <a href="/destinations/dickenson-bay">Dickenson Bay</a> in the northwest, <a href="/destinations/jolly-harbour">Jolly Harbour</a> on the west coast, and <a href="/destinations/english-harbour">English Harbour</a> in the south near historic <a href="/attractions/nelsons-dockyard">Nelson's Dockyard</a>. Car rental is available too, though remember that Antigua drives on the left, UK style, and a local temporary driving permit is required.</p><p>Heading to the sister island of <a href="/destinations/barbuda">Barbuda</a>? You can fly the short hop from ANU on a small aircraft, or take the passenger ferry from St. John's. Either way, V.C. Bird International is the pivot point for getting around the two-island nation.</p>
St. John's
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