BORINQUEN AIR/AIR PUERTO RICO: P. O. Box 37309, Airport Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00937, United States; Phone (787) 791-5060; Fax (787) 681-8600; Code 3B; Year Founded 1961. Sixto Diaz Saldana establishes Borinquen Air at Luix Munoz Marin International Airport, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, in 1961 to offer charter and contract service flights. Revenue services begin with a fleet of 3 Douglas DC-3s.
Often employing the marketing title “Air Puerto Rico,” Borinquen continues to fly Caribbean cargo charters over the next 37 years. Two of the Douglas transports are lost in accidents during the 1980s. The third is sold to Delta Air Lines for restoration to its original condition.
Just after takeoff from San Juan on a freight service to Basseterre on July 22, 1986, a C-54D with two crew suffers engine failure and crashes into a lagoon (one dead).
Early in the 1990s, the last Douglas is replaced with 1 de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otter. At mid-decade, it is replaced with 2 Beech 18s.
It is understood that operations continue for several years thereafter, but exact information is unavailable.
BORNEO AIRWAYS: Indonesia (1997-1999). Despite the Asian economic downturn, Borneo Airways is set up at Sarawak in late 1997 to offer domestic passenger charters, as well as scheduled regional feeder services for Royal Brunei Airlines. Shareholding is divided between Royal Brunei and the state government of Sarawak.
With management support provided by the Brunei airline, along with a single Fairchild Dornier 228-212, revenue flights begin on February 8, 1998.
Service is maintained with few charters and less profit until the company is shut down on October 4, 1999. The leased Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 are returned.
BORNEO AIRWAYS, LTD.: Malaya (1958-1965). To provide feeder services for Malayan Airways, Ltd., the local British government (51% shareholding) and the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) (49% shareholding) reform the carrier Sabah Airways, Ltd. (formed as a Malayan Airways subsidiary the previous year) on March 1, 1958. Equipped with 3 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers and 2 old de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapides, it continues services to bush destinations in the states of Sebah and Sarawak as well as to Singapore.
Borneo Airways, Ltd. assumes responsibilities for domestic operations in 1960 as Malayan Airways, Ltd. concentrates on long-haul flights. Four Douglas DC-3s are transferred over from the parent. The fleet is upgraded in 1961-1963 by the addition of 8 Fokker F.27-100s, which allow removal of the de Havillands. Merger discussions begin between Borneo Airways and Malaysian Airways, Ltd. (successor to Malayan Airways, Ltd.) in 1964.
On April 1, 1965, Borneo Airways, Ltd. is acquired by Malaysian and merged. Borneo’s base at Kesseton is enlarged and its Sabah/Sarawak routes and fleet, comprising 1 Cessna 310,4 DC-3s, 8 Fokker F.27-100s, and 3 Twin Pioneers, are likewise turned over. The Twin Pioneers will be replaced with additional C-310s.
BORONEZH AVIA: Ukraine (1993-1996). BA is established at Dnepropetrovsk Airport in the Ukraine during 1993 to offer regional third-level services. Comdr. Mikhail Demidenko is CEO and he begins revenue services with 1 each Antonov An-2, Yakovlev Yak-40 and Yak-42. Flights continue in 1994-1995, but cease in 1996.
BOSPHORUS AIRWAYS, A. O.: Abdullah Sk 4/4, Gumusuyu, Tak-sim, Istanbul, Turkey; Phone 90 (1) 249-3844; Fax 90 (1) 245-8348, Year Founded 1994. Bosphorus is established at Istanbul in late 1994 to offer domestic passenger services. Revenue flights commence and continue with 2 each Boeing 737-300s and B-727-200s.
World History
