Air Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago)
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| Founded | 1993 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 1993 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 23 October 2000 | ||||||
| Hubs | Piarco International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 8 | ||||||
| Destinations | 5 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago | ||||||
| Key people | Leslie Lucky-Samaroo (chairman) | ||||||
Air Caribbean was a Trinidadian airline operating between 1993 and 2000.
History
The airline was based at Piarco International Airport and used YS-11 aircraft for the first five years. In March 1998 the airline purchased a Boeing 737-200 Advanced and announced Miami as a new destination.[1] This aircraft had fuel-thirsty and noisy JT8D engines, and were a financial burden to the airline. The plane was too noisy for American noise regulations, delaying the Miami plans. Until mid-1999 the airline purchased two more 737-200s and announced further plans to fly to Caracas, New York, Orlando and Toronto. The problems with the US Department of Transport did not stop; one of the 737s was so old that a hush kit could not be fitted. As a consequence, the planes had to be grounded whilst the hush-kits were fitted to the suitable aircraft.
In early 2000, Air Caribbean offered slashed air fares to Miami, in order to compete with BWIA and American Airlines. This was a financial disaster, as passengers chose to fly with competing airlines who offered modern aircraft.[citation needed] On October 23, 2000, Air Caribbean was closed down, with massive debts. The 737s have since been scrapped in America,[citation needed] and one YS-11 is still at Piarco International Airport, in an abandoned state.
Destinations
Fleet
The airline operated a fleet of six NAMC YS-11's and two Boeing 737-200 aircraft.
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Haul |
|---|---|---|---|
| YS-11 | 6 | 64 | Short Haul |
| Boeing 737-200 | 3 | 136 | Short-Medium Haul |
References
External links