Backed by private investors, former British International Helicopters, Ltd. (BIH) executive Kit Chambers and his wife establish Hummingbird in the Republic of Maldives in January 1989. A fleet of 2 Sikorsky S-61Ns is leased from Court Helicopters (Pty.), Ltd. of South Africa and a staff of 15 employees is assembled. Twice-daily interisland flights are inaugurated in May from Male International Airport.
Operations continue apace in 1990 and as demand for shuttle flights between the nation’s 19 atolls slowly grows, the company, in October 1991, wet-leases a pair of Mil Mi-8s from Sofia, Bulgaria-based Heli Air Services. Upon arrival, the first of two Russian-made helicopters, flown by Bulgarian crews, begins a six-month trial in December. Also during the year’s final month, the two Court Helicopters (Pty.), Ltd. S-61Ns are returned as the first of two S-61Ns chartered from Bristow Helicopters, Ltd. arrives and enters service.
The second Heli Air Services Mil Mi-8 arrives on January 29, 1992. The second Bristow S-61N is delivered in November. Two more Mi-8s are placed into service in 1993 as Managing Director Chambers’ concern continues to enjoy a successful and expanding scheduled and charter business.
While shuttling tourists to the island of Kandholhudu on January 8, 1994 , an Mi-8 with 11 aboard suffers a failure of its tail-rotor drive system and crashes into the Indian Ocean (9 dead). The entire fleet is grounded for inspection, but returns to service three days later.
Operations continue apace in 1995 and in 1996 the company is transporting some 10,000 passengers per month, most to the country’s 74 ocean atoll resorts. The corporate name is changed to Hummingbird Airways, Ltd. in 1997 as the carrier also begins flying a pair of float-equipped de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters.
World History
