Shortest-lived airlines on record. Officially founded at Miami on January 1, 1995, it leases a Boeing 737-247 from Viscount Air Service and begins daily roundtrip service to Kingston and Montego Bay. Flights continue only until January 11, when the company shuts down and returns its aircraft.
CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS, LTD.: Barbados (1972-1989). English financier Norman Ricketts, who had established airlines in the Bahamas, sets up International Caribbean Airways at Barbados in September 1970. After leasing a former Northwest Airlines Boeing 707-351B, ICA inaugurates discount flights to Luxembourg beginning on December 14. These low-cost services are continued on to London (LGW), beginning on December 14, 1971. Later, Laker Airways, Ltd. DC-10-30s are occasionally wet-leased.
Upon its independence, the Barbados government designates ICA as the national airline and purchases 51% majority shareholding in January 1975; the remaining 49% is subscribed by Laker Airways, Ltd., which provides management and air crew support. “International” is dropped from the title in April 1976 and operations continue apace in 1977.
Airline employment in 1978 is 65 and service is initiated to Boston, Washington, and Montreal. Passenger boardings jump 44% to 62,000 (of which 50,000 are carried on transatlantic flights). A total of 892,000 FTKs are also flown.
The U. S. markets are dropped early in 1979 at which time the company is flying 4 DC-10-30s and 3 B-707-351Bs. Enplanements total 57,000.
By the early 1980s, the North American destinations have been suspended and replaced by Brussels and Frankfurt; much of the traffic is seasonal and includes tour and other promotional groups. The Barbados-based company transports 54,000 customers in 1980 with one less Boeing. Passenger boardings jump 12% in 1981 to 61,424.
The sudden collapse of Laker Airways, Ltd. in February 1982 removes its interest and assistance. Leased equipment is now obtained from other sources. For example, a B-747-123 is leased from Cargolux Airlines International, S. A. in December 1986 and is flown over a route from Barbados to Frankfurt via London and Brussels.
The revenues generated are insufficient to maintain operations and, without a backer, the company suspends operations in April 1987, following the return of the Belgian Jumbojet in March.
Barbados now looks to Caribbean Air Cargo, Ltd., joining that enterprise in 1988. Meanwhile, during the year, the physically dormant airline contracts with Lionair, S. A., a subsidiary of Luxair, S. A. and Cargolux Airlines International, S. A., to provide scheduled roundtrip flights between Manchester and Barbados with one of its two B-747-121s.
One DC-10-30 is brought back into service during five months of 1989, but is again grounded after flying just 28,776 passengers. The company ceases flying and elects to make money another way-running a duty free shop at the Bridgetown Airport, a pursuit which continues into 1994.
CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.: Barbados (1994-1995). CAI is established at Bridgetown as the flag carrier of Barbados on November 1, 1994. A Boeing 757-3M8 is wet-leased from the Turkish carrier Birgenair, A. S. and is employed, beginning in December, to offer two regularly scheduled roundtrips per week on a rotating basis via Gander, Newfoundland, to Vienna, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Cologne. Charters are flown on weekends.
Flights cease within a year.
CARIBBEAN ATLANTIC AIRLINES (CARIBAIR): United States (1939-1973). Caribair, as it is nicknamed, is incorporated under territorial law at San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Dionisio Trigo on February 27, 1939 to take over the Powelson Air Service’s year-old operation from the capital to Ponce. Employing a Stinson SR Reliant, the company inaugurates nonscheduled services on June 1. Late in the year, flights commence to the U. S. Virgin Islands.
Trigo’s third-level carrier receives a CAB route certificate on July 23, 1942. Scheduled roundtrip service is now inaugurated between San Juan and Mayaguez via Ponce and from San Juan to Christiansted via Charlotte Amalie.
A Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is leased from National Airlines in April 1945 as the mainland major unsuccessfully proposes to extend its own Atlantic and Gulf coast routes into the Caribbean through the company’s purchase.
A year later, in 1946, the company’s first large purchased airliners arrive—3 Douglas DC-3s. The final significant development of the 1940s is the inauguration of a December 27, 1948 frequency to Ciudad Trijillo in the Dominican Republic.
The CAB license is renewed on November 13, 1952 and again in 1957. Flights to St. Martin, capital of the Netherlands West Indies, commence on January 15, 1958. Late in the decade, the fleet is upgraded by the addition of 2 Convair CV-340s. In 1961, the same year in which scheduled services are initiated to Guadeloupe, Trans Caribbean Airways obtains minority shareholding.
Airline employment by 1964 stands at 551. As the result of a premature takeoff, a DC-3 crashes at San Juan on September 22.
With a fleet of 13 aircraft, the company boards 815,892 passengers on the year and flies a total of 343,000 freight ton-miles. Revenues are $7.98 million.
Thirty-eight employees are hired in 1965 and the fleet now includes 7 CV-340s (several of which have been converted to CV-640 status) and 1 each DC-3 and Lockheed L-18 Lodestar. One of the former, with 44 aboard, is damaged during its April 27 landing at Ponce, Puerto Rico. A CV-640 joins the fleet in December. Enplanements total 923,995.
In 1966, CAB permission is received to extend company service over an 11-stop network through the Leeward and Windward Islands as far out into the Caribbean as Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Airline employment in 1967 totals 825. On January 23, Caribair begins daily service to the eastern Caribbean resort islands between San Juan and Trinidad and Tobago and is the first scheduled U. S. local service carrier permitted to compete with foreign lines in that area.
The same day, Flight 101, a CV-640 with 3 crew and 25 passengers touches down 250-ft. short of the runway while landing at San Juan. Although the nose and right main landing gear collapse, the right wing separates, and the No. 2 engine comes off, no fatalities are reported.
The Lodestar freighter is forced to ditch into the sea, near Lima, Peru, on April 2 (five dead). In December, the company begins to fly the first of 3 ordered DC-9-31s, marketed as “Fiesta Jets,” to its new destinations.
At this point, direct connections are made possible between San Juan, Port-au-Prince, Aruba, and Curacao. The fleet now includes not only the jetliner, but also 2 CV-340s, 1 CV-440, 6 CV-640s upgraded from previously owned CV-340s, and 6 DC-3s.
Enplanements for the year total 968,000.
The employee population in 1968 is 858 and after 2 more DC-9-31s are delivered, the fleet totals 13 aircraft.
Enplanements total 1,008,000 and the number of freight ton-miles flown increases to 636,000. Revenues are $13.69 million.
An unsuccessful 1969 application for a route from San Juna to Miami and increasing competition from PRINAIR (Puerto Rico International Airlines), when added to financial difficulties, leads to company decline.
A DC-9-31 with 103 aboard crashes through the fence at the end of the runway while landing at Harry S. Truman Airport, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, on August 12 and hits a bus; remarkably, no one aboard either the plane or the bus is hurt. In November, officials announce that merger discussions have begun with Eastern Air Lines. Enplanements are 654,641.
Employment in 1970 is 669 and the fleet includes 11 aircraft. On October 22, Eastern Air Lines completes purchase of the carrier for $10.4 million—routes, DC-9s, properties, and all. Caribair is operated as a subsidiary under its own name pending required Federal approval of the takeover. Passenger boardings drop 36.1% to 481,000 and freight traffic falls by 13.7%.
The major’s acquisition move receives the support of the CAB examiner on May 21, 1971. The takeover is opposed by Pan American World Airways (1), fearful of losing its grandfather rights into the Caribbean. As the case engages the lawyers, the company enplanes 531,790 customers for the year.
Failure to achieve required White House approval in early October 1972 results in Eastern Air Line’s withdrawal of financial support, already totaling $5 million. On October 31, the CAB, at presidential suggestion, rejects Eastern’s buyout. The issue drags on. Meanwhile, the customer bookings for the year are down 7% to 497,000 and freight is off by 11.5%.
In late 1973, the go-ahead is received for the 1970 arrangement and Caribair disappears.
CARIBBEAN EXECUTIVE AIRLINES: United States (19691972). CEA is established at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1969 to provide scheduled air taxi services to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands. Daily Beech 18 roundtrips are duly inaugurated and are maintained into 1972.
CARIBBEAN EXPRESS: United States (1983-1988). This international third-level commuter airline is established at Miami in late 1983 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach to the Bahamian destinations of Treasure Cay, Freeport, Georgetown, Governor’s Harbour, North Eleuthers, and Rock Sound. Initial airline employment is 48 and the fleet comprises 6 Cessna 402Bs. A total of 542 passengers are carried during the remainder of the year.
Operations continue apace in 1984-1985, although the fleet is reduced to 4 Cessnas. Enplanements in 1986 total 13,758 as orders are placed for 13 Embraer EMB-110P Bandeirantes.
In 1987, President Richard Caswell’s carrier receives the first 5 Ban-deirantes. A major expansion of services is started and passenger boardings skyrocket to 71,103.
Overextended, the Miami-based small regional operates only the first two months of 1988, transporting 13,000 passengers. Unable to continue, the company now shuts down and in July, files for Chapter VII liquidation.
CARIBBEAN HELICORP: Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport, Pan Am Dock Lot 1-2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00935, United States; Phone (787) 722-1984; Fax (787) 724-8260; Year Founded 1995. Roberto Villami sets up CH at San Juan in 1995 to provide executive and small group passenger charters and various other forms of aerial contract work. By 2000, he employs three pilots and flies one each Beech Super King Air 200, Aerospatiale AS-350B Astar, and a McDonnell Douglas MD-500E.
CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES: United States (1980-1981). CIA is established at Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1980 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services linking San Juan with St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands. Although daily Douglas DC-3 roundtrips are duly inaugurated, they are only maintained for a year.
CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS, LTD.: Cayman Islands (1948-1953). When King Parker loses his Cayman Islands Airways, Ltd. to creditors in 1947, his backers, the following year, establish a successor company at Grand Cayman. Former RAF wing commander Owen Roberts is named managing director and seaplane operations commence to Tampa. Service is maintained apace over the next four years, although during this time, three seaplanes are lost in bad weather incidents.
Roberts is also able to persuade various constituencies to construct an airport on Grand Cayman that is named in his honor. Roberts lands the first aircraft at the new facility on November 28, 1952.
Late in the first quarter of 1953, CIA receives a significant upgrade when a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is acquired. Unhappily, the aircraft crashes at sea in April, killing Roberts and all others aboard save one passenger; the tragedy ends this second Cayman-based airline.
World History
