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Caricom Airways

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Caricom Airways
IATA ICAO Call sign
— CRB CARIBBEAN COMMUTER[1]
Founded2004
Operating basesZorg en Hoop Airport
Frequent-flyer programCaricom Privilege & Caricom Privilege BIZ
Fleet size7
Destinations67
HeadquartersParamaribo, Suriname
Key peopleSteven Rory Michael Chin-A-Kwie (CEO) & (Managing Director)
WebsiteCaricom Airways

Caricom Airways, which stands for Caribbean Commuter Airways, is a regional airline from the Caribbean, with the headquarters of the company at Paramaribo, Suriname. From the down-town Zorg en Hoop Airport in Suriname, Caricom Airways flies mainly charter flights to various destinations in the interior of Suriname, the Caribbean and Northern Brazil.

Caricom Airways still has plans for regular flights to regional destinations. The airline has temporarily set those plans aside for cooperation with Surinam Airways (SLM = Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij). As its feeder commuter airline Caricom Airways will carry out regularly scheduled flights to the hinterland of Suriname for SLM. This National airline, Surinam Airways (SLM), in collaboration with Caricom Airways, will reintroduce domestic service to various destinations in Suriname using three aircraft belonging to Caricom Airways: two Islanders and a Cessna 206. Operational control will remain in the hands of Caricom Airways. SLM will periodically perform quality checks on the aircraft and audit Caricom Airways. Passengers will eventually be able to book these domestic flights through SLM's worldwide booking, which the airline hopes will spur the tourism industry. This joint venture also includes METS Tours, a subsidiary of Surinam Airways. Caricom Airways will retain its identity but has joined SLM's quality program and will fly with their colours.[2][3]

Caricom Airways was earlier planning to add four 50 seat turboprops to its fleet of smaller Islander, Cessna and Piper aircraft to launch regional scheduled flights. The airline had not yet finalized its flight schedule, but the plan was to serve Boa Vista International Airport (BVB), Bridgetown Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) and St. Lucia Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) from Paramaribo Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM). It had previously planned to operate scheduled flights to several Eastern Caribbean islands from its Caribbean hub at "Saint Lucia" but has not yet received the necessary approvals.

History

The company was originally founded on April 13, 2004, as Kuyake Aviation (Kuyake is Surinamese for Toucan). At first the main mission of the company was to provide flight training towards the Private & Commercial Pilot License. Kuyake Aviation started with a Cessna 337G Super Skymaster (PZ-PYV) and a Cessna 172R Skyhawk (PZ-NYQ). Later in 2005 a Cessna 206H Stationair (PZ-TYA) airplane was added. In August 2006 a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PZ-PTA) with Panther conversion was bought followed by another Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PZ-TYW).

In 2009 the main focus shifted from flight training to Commercial Services. With this change of mission the decision was also made to split the company to "Caribbean Commuter Airways N.V." (abbreviated: Caricom Airways N.V.) and "Kuyake Aviation Academy". Caricom Airways had a fleet expansion in 2010 when two Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander (PZ-TYD & PZ-TYL) arrived for passenger charters. In 2013 Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander (PZ-TYD) was painted in full SLM Commuter colours with small Caricom Airways titles, named "Village of Djoemoe".

Kuyake Aviation is also based at the Zorg en Hoop Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname and is a modern school facility which operates a fleet of Cessna Aircraft & Simulators all equipped with the latest in Glass Cockpit Technology. Caribbean Commuter Airways in the meantime was divided into Caricom Airways Barbados as a regional charter airline and Caricom Airways Suriname, both using the Caribbean Commuter Airways logo, and operating as a domestic charter airline within Suriname and the Caribbean region, together with running the Caricom Airways Flight Academy effectively with Kuyake Aviation Flight Academy.[4]

Fleet

Caricom Airways has a fleet of different types of aircraft.

Caricom Airways Fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Passengers
(Economy) 		Notes
Britten Norman BN2A MK III Trislander - 1 16 Surinam Airways Commuter (SLM)
Britten Norman BN2 Islander 2 - 9 Surinam Airways Commuter (SLM)
Cessna 206H Stationair 6 1 - 5 Caricom Airways
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain 2 0 9 Kuyake Aviation / Caricom Airways
Cessna 337G Skymaster 1 0 5 Kuyake Aviation / Caricom Airways
Cessna 172 Skyhawk 1 0 3 Kuyake Aviation Academy / Caricom Airways Academy
Total 7 1

According to "Caricom News Network" in 2010 Caricom Airways would switch to a fleet of new Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft, but this now seems unlikely due to strict flight safety regulations from the Eastern Caribbean Islands regarding single engine flights over open water.

Destinations

Caricom Airways flies charters to 67 destinations, including 62 within the CARICOM and 5 abroad:

Outside the CARICOM:

See also

References

  1. ^ ICAO Document 8585 Edition 139
  2. ^ "Surinam Airways to reintroduce domestic service". Caribbean News Now. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  3. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Kuyake Aviation Academy - Our academy". Kuyake-aviation.com. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
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