InterCaribbean Airways
interCaribbean Airways, Ltd.[1] (formerly known as Air Turks & Caicos) is a passenger airline based in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The airline offers scheduled domestic and regional services from its hub at Providenciales, Turks & Caicos and Tortola, British Virgin Islands, to multiple destinations in Antigua, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia and St. Maarten. interCaribbean Airways also operates domestic flights in Jamaica between Kingston and Montego Bay, the first non Jamaican airline in over 50 years of Jamaica independence to be given such route rights. The company provides charter flights as well.
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| Founded | 1991 (as InterIsland Airways, Ltd.) | ||||||
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| Hubs | Providenciales International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 14 | ||||||
| Destinations | 23 | ||||||
| Parent company | Interisland Aviation Services Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands | ||||||
| Key people | Lyndon R. Gardiner, Chairman Trevor Sadler, CEO | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
History
The airline was established in 1991 as InterIsland Airways, Ltd. offering Charter Services. In 2003 the Turks and Caicos Government started a push toward regional and international development and it seemed the time had come for the Turks and Caicos to have its own airline. A scheduled license was applied for and granted, and thus began an ambitious expansion project that involved adding international destinations and acquiring larger and faster aircraft. The company re-branded to become Air Turks & Caicos to serve key international destinations, with daily scheduled flights to cities in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bahamas and Puerto Rico.[2]
The Founder & Chairman of the airline, Mr. Lyndon R. Gardiner was born on North Caicos in the Turks & Caicos islands. As the fourth of six children Mr. Gardiner learned from his maternal grandfather, a fisherman by trade and a legislator for most of his life, that goal achievement requires unwavering determination and dedication. After spending the first ten years of his business career in finance, he decided to follow the example of his two older brothers and went to Ft. Lauderdale to attend flight school.[2]
Purchasing his first plane in 1991 he started providing an informal but popular on-demand air taxi service that he called InterIsland Airways. In those early days of flying in the Turks and Caicos, he was often called out in the middle of the night to fly Medevac flights after having put in a full day. He felt a strong obligation to assist, as a Medevac flight flown by his long-time friend, the late Howard C. Hamilton, saved his own life after a devastating motorcycle accident on Grand Turk that broke his legs.[2]
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By 1999 Gardiner had acquired a small fleet and was running a full-fledged charter service. Realizing that his true potential lay in business, not flying, he left the piloting to others and concentrated on growing his emerging airline. By 2004, having added several more companies to his portfolio, he had gained widespread recognition for his efforts and was named Businessman of the Year.[2]
In 2008, Air Turks and Caicos bought its direct competitor SkyKing. The SkyKing brand was integrated within the Air Turks and Caicos operations on 22 October 2008 and by mid-2009 the airline continued operating with a single Air Operators Certificate.[3]
In November 2013 after operating for 10 years as Air Turks & Caicos, the Company re-branded itself interCaribbean Airways. This was followed by a new expansion plan focused on providing greater connecting options across the Caribbean.
In 2018 it was announced that the airline was introducing new routes from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Aruba and between Curaçao and Kingston, Jamaica. These new services add to the airline's nonstop flights to Tortola, St. Maarten and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, reported Caribbean Journal (CJ). The announcement came from interCaribbean's Chairman and Founder Lyndon Gardiner, and the airline's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director Trevor Sadler. “At interCaribbean Airways, we know that the Dominican Republic currently leads the region as an economic engine and as a strategic commercial and business point,[4]” said Sadler in a recent presentation to stakeholders. “Our intention is to facilitate the opportunity through the introduction of these new routes.”[4] “InterCaribbean has a long-standing history and relationship with the Dominican Republic and we consider it a privilege to be serving the Dominican community, not only as a way to enjoy tourism elsewhere in the Caribbean, but also by being able to connect all Dominicans who live throughout the Caribbean,” Sadler added.[4]
The new destinations of Aruba and Curaçao will also serve as new routes for the British Virgin Islands with connections to and from Tortola via Santo Domingo. Direct flights from Tortola, interCaribbean's second hub, include services to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Maarten, Santo Domingo, St. Lucia, Dominica and Providenciales with connections to Kingston and Nassau.
The Turks and Caicos-based carrier, which connects 27 destinations and 15 countries across the Caribbean, in June 2019 added the larger and faster Embraer EMB145 Regional Jet aircraft to its fleet, increasing its passenger and direct flight capabilities.
In addition to the EMB145 Regional Jets, the airline currently operates eight 30 passenger Embraer E120, one 18 passenger executive Embraer 120 aircraft all equipped with lavatories, a galley and flight attendant service, 4 x Twin Otter aircraft and 1 x 9 passenger Britten Norman Islander. The Twin Otter aircraft joined the fleet in December 2015.[2]
Destinations
As of May 2020, all flights to all destinations have been cancelled due to COVID-19.
As of May 2020, interCaribbean Airways operates scheduled flights to the following destinations within the Caribbean:
Fleet
As of October 2019, the interCaribbean Airways fleet includes the following aircraft:[5]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Refs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-500l | 2 | - | 48 | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter | 1 | - | 19 | |
| Embraer EMB 120ER Brasilia | 10 | - | 30 | |
| Embraer EMB145 Regional Jet | 4 | 50 | ||
| Total | 17 | |||
The airline wet leased Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia from October 2014 to February 2016 to Cayman Airways for scheduled inter-island passenger flights in the Cayman Islands.[6] The airline recently acquired two Embraer 145[7][8] regional jets, which it began operating commercially early June 2019.
References
- "interCaribbean Airways". interCaribbean Airways. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- "interCaribbean » The Company". intercaribbean.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- "Sky King Sold to Air Turks and Caicos". WIV 4. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- "Flights added to Curaçao, Aruba - Curaçao Chronicle". curacaochronicle.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- "Airline Information: Air Turks & Caicos". CH-Aviation. 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- https://www.CaymanAirways.com, press releases
- "InterCaribbean Airways to Expand with Regional Jets". Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- "interCaribbean Airways to add maiden jet equipment". ch-aviation. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
