Meanwhile, the company continues to visit destinations throughout Europe, as well as Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Damascus, Detroit, Fairbanks, Houston, Huntsville, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Seattle, and Tacoma.
On August 19, a contract is signed with Southern Air Transport, which will serve eight cities from a Luxembourg base on behalf of Car-golux, including Huntsville, Miami, and Bradley, Connecticut, as well as cities in Scotland, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Two B-747-4R7Fs are delivered at the end of the year.
FTKs this year surge 19% to 2.41 billion, which also translates into 273,696 tons of goods flown. Revenues climb 20% to $477.43 million, while expenses grow only 12.5% to $440.7 million. Consequently, the operating profit surges to $36.72 million and a huge $30.7-million net gain is celebrated.
At the beginning of 1998, Cargolux is the 15th largest airline in the world in terms of freight carried.
In January, the company receives the 1997 “Cargo Development Award” from Air Transport World magazine.
During the spring, the company’s 2 B-747-271Cs are sold to Southern Air Transport. Although scheduled to depart the fleet, they will be leased back until the remaining 2 B-747-400Fs on order are received.
At a special ceremony at Cargolux Headquarters in Luxembourg on May 18, the 2 new B-747-4R7Fs received in December are christened City of Dudelange and City of Grevenmacher. The mayors of Dude-lange and Grevenmacher unveil the city names on coats of arms of the two giant freighters. Each aircraft is configured with six-seat upper-deck passenger compartments, plus two bunks. A reserve crewman occupies one seat during long-haul flights, while couriers, staff accompanying shipments, company officials, and even grooms for horses, will use the others.
A long-term agreement is signed with Atlas Air on July 16 for the use of the American company’s second new B-747-47UF as soon as it is delivered. The second Atlas B-747-47UF arrives in early August and is immediately put to work under contract to Cargolux.
The B-747-271Cs, off the table to Southern Air Transport and still operated by Cargolux are purchased by Atlas Air on September 30; it is anticipated that the trio will be operating in the U. S. line’s colors by year’s end.
A third B-747-47UF is delivered to Atlas Air in mid-October and, on October 20, Atlas signs a second contract to provide air freight services for Cargolux.
President/CEO Heiner Wilkens travels to Everett, Washington, on December 8 to take delivery of a B-747-4R7F. At the same time, he delivers a $335-million order for two more of the type. The freighter now accepted returns to Luxembourg with a full load of cargo, making the delivery flight its first revenue-earning flight.
Several new services are undertaken at mid-month. The weekly flight to Damascus and Istanbul is rerouted to allow resumption of service to Beirut on December 16. Services to South America are enhanced with the simultaneous introduction of a B-747-47UF routing from Luxembourg-Recife-Santiago de Chile-Buenos Aires-Vittoria-Luxembourg. With this added frequency, Cargolux now offers two weekly roundtrips from Santiago de Chile to Europe and three from Buenos Aires.
A fourth stop (after Prestwick, Shannon, and Keflavik) on the European network is added on December 16 when one of the carrier’s B-747-47UFs begins stopping at Manchester during its weekly service from Luxembourg to Seattle. It will later be noted that, during the 12 months, the company has transported various cargos, ranging from a huge Rolls Royce Trent engine to over 900 racehorses.
Freight traffic this year climbs by 11% to 2.68 billion FTKs, while actual tonnage carried increases to 321,982. Revenues jump 5.2% to $578 million. There is an operating profit of $38.5 million and a net gain of $92 million, which includes income generated from the sale of the last B-747-271Cs.
Airline employment stands at 1,087 in 1999, a 7.9% increase. Pilots come from every European country, including Iceland. The company provides both scheduled and charter all-cargo service to 33 destinations around the world. It also operates a ground transportation network between major European cities from its Brussels base.
Beginning on April 13, the company introduces a weekly B-747-47UF roundtrip route from Luxembourg to Luxembourg via Mexico City, Dallas (DFW), and Prestwick, Scotland.
At the end of April, Vice President Schummer informs reporters that the company will make a public offering later in the year designed to raise $100-$150 million. The income, derived through an expansion of 25-30% in share capital, will be employed to increase the fleet from 7 to 12 B-747-47UFs by 2002.
Twice-weekly service to Melbourne and Auckland begins on September 18, with the return flight via Los Angeles and Portland; on September 3, twice-weekly roundtrips are operated from Luxembourg to Sydney, with returns via Asia and Abu Dhabi.
The Airbus A300-600F Toucan is wet-leased from City Bird, S. A., also in September; the wide-body is employed to operate twice-weekly cargo roundtrips to Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
Thrice-weekly B-747-47UF roundtrips to Johannesburg via Nairobi are introduced on October 3.
Another highlight of the year is the placement into service of the world’s first B-747-400 simulator in freighter configuration.
Although FTKs surge 20.8% to 3,246,555,000, fuel costs have an impact on the financial return. Revenues advance 11% to $644 million and expenses are $634 million. The operating profit falls to $10 million and the net gain to $30 million.
Airline employment stands at 1,300 at the beginning of 2000, a 1.9% increase. Among the world’s top 25 airlines at the beginning of the new millennium, Cargolux is 13th in terms of FTKs.
On March 31, the carrier suspends its Johannesburg-Luxembourg service operated via Harare, Nairobi, and Maastricht. The deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe is cited as the principal reason.
Concentration on information technology and e-commerce growth occupies much of the first quarter. In April, the carrier, like others hit by rising fuel prices, levies fuel surcharges. The City Bird, S. A. wet-lease now ends.
In May, the carrier, on behalf of Panalpina, undertakes a new dedicated weekly service between Luxembourg and Macau, adding a weekly service to Brazil in June. On June 11, in cooperation with Asiana Airlines, Ltd., twice-weekly B-747-47UF roundtrips are started from Brussels to Seoul.
Also in June, the London Daily Telegraph reports that the carrier will undertake a flotation later in the year that will value the company at an estimated ?500 million ($1.3 billion).
In July, it begins a daily Jumbojet freight run between Luxembourg and Huntsville, Alabama. Stops, also on behalf of the Swiss forwarder, are made at Shannon and Guadalajara beginning in August.
CARGOMAN, LTD.: Oman (1977-1983). Cargoman, Ltd. is established by its principal owner, Dr. Omar Zawawi, at Muscat’s Seeb International Airport in January 1977 to provide ad hoc freight services between Oman and Europe. General Manager T. M. Longmore acquires a single Douglas DC-8-55F from the former Affretair, Ltd. (1) subsidiary Air Gabon Cargo, S. A. and employs a large number of that carrier’s Caucasian workers. Weekly flights are launched from Dubai to Amsterdam late in the month.
Additional leased freighters come and go from various sources and flights link the nation with various cities in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Until Air Zimbabwe, Ltd. acquires Affretair’s assets in 1983, reports persistently link Cargoman and the owners of the ex-Rhodesian operation. Cargoman itself appears to have ceased trading in 1983.
CARGOMASTERS AUSTRALIA (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (19811985). Established at Melbourne in 1981 as a joint venture between Airlift, Ltd. and Alaska International Air (later Mark Air), Cargo-master’s fleet is leased, as required, from its parents. Revenue flights by the new domestic and international all-cargo and contract services carrier commence in August 1982 and cease three years later.
CARGOSERVICE OF BERKSHIRE AIRLINES: Ufa, 4500059, Russia; Phone 3472-143-332; Fax 3472-245-971; Year Founded 1990. Initially established as Shonkar Airlines, this all-cargo division of Bashkirskie Airlines changes its name. By 2000, Vilmir K. Gaziyev is the unit’s chief and he operates freight flights with aircraft leased from the parent.
CARGOSUR (COMPANIA DE EXPLOITACION DE AVIONES CARGUEROS, S. A.): Avenida de la Hispanidad No. 13, Edificio Iberfreight, Madrid, E-28042, Spain; Phone 34 (1) 320-3721; Fax 34
(1) 320-4015; Code OW; Year Founded 1988. Cargosur, S. A. is established by Iberia Spanish Airlines (2) (Lineas Aereas de Espana, S. A.) at Barajas Airport at Madrid in 1988 to undertake supplemental allfreight flights to destinations throughout Europe, the Mideast, the Canary Islands, and Africa. Manuel Mederos Cruz is appointed managing director and his fleet comprises 1 leased DC-8-62CF and 2 DC-8-62Fs.
Revenue flights to London (STN), Paris (ORY), Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Maastricht commence during the fall; return flights south not only stop at Madrid, but Barcelona as well. One Douglas narrow-body is dedicated to a daily morning flight transporting perishables, newspapers, and general cargo to Tenerife and Las Palmas. An owned DC-8-62F, the former Japan Air Lines Company, Ltd. (2) Taisetsu, is acquired from bankrupt Interstate Airlines in October. The Detroit-based carrier had only been able to employ it for a few rotations before closing down.
Service continues apace in 1989-1992 without change in fleet or employment. Airline employment increases to 130 in 1993. The two chartered DC-8-62Fs are returned late in the year and in early 1994 are placed with a DC-8-71F leased from GPA Group, Ltd.
In July 1995, the company is authorized to provide all-cargo, scheduled replacement services from various destinations in Spain to points in the United States on behalf of Iberia Spanish Airlines (2) (Lineas Aereas de Espana, S. A.). Another DC-8-71F is acquired and employed to inaugurate a new route from Madrid to Mexico City via Montreal and Chicago. Additional DC-8-71F routes are also started to New York and, via Miami, to Los Angeles.
These and other flights continue in 1996-2000, during which years airline employment slips to 127 and a third chartered DC-8-71F is received and used to stretch the Mexico City route to Bogota and Sao Paulo. A Boeing 747-256BC chartered from Iberia Spanish Airlines
(2) (Lineas Aereas de Espana, S. A.) inaugurates thrice-weekly service to Tokyo via Moscow.
CARIB AVIATION, LTD.: P. O. Box 318, V. C. Bird International Airport, St. Johns, Antigua, West Indies; Phone (268) 462-3147; Fax (268) 462-3125; Http://www. candoo. com/carib; Code K7; Year Founded 1990. Carib Aviation is established at V. C. Bird International Airport in 1990 to provide executive and small group passenger charters from Antigua and from St. Kitts and Nevis to destinations throughout the eastern Caribbean.
During the remainder of the decade, the company provides not only VIP transport, but also shuttles for island events, general cargo service, special-handling cargo service, and, upon request, medevac flights. The fleet in 2000 includes 1 each Partenavia P.68C, Cessna 402C, Beech B80 Queenair, and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
CARIB EXPRESS, LTD.: Barbados (1995-1996). Carib Express is established at Bridgetown during January 1995 to provide regional scheduled services. Shareholding is divided between private investors (70%), British Airways, Ltd. (2) (20%), and the governments of Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenadines (10%). Geoffrey Cave is named chairman with Roy Barnes as managing director; a workforce of 100 is recruited.
A British Aerospace BAe 146-100 is chartered from Asset Management Organization and revenue services commence on February 15 between Bridgeport and Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. Two more leased BAes, one equipped with TCAS, join the fleet in April and are employed to inaugurate services to Antigua, Guyana, Port-of-Spain, Tobago, and San Juan. For lack of traffic, flights to Guyana and Antigua are suspended in November.
Traffic and financial figures for the year are not released. By the date of the first service anniversary in February 1996, an estimated $6.5 million has been lost.
During the first quarter, negotiations are begun with British West Indies Airways, Ltd. (2) (BWIA) concerning a possible franchise arrangement. Under its terms, Carib Express would take over several of that airline’s Caribbean routes. Company employees would tender two months of unpaid labor and take a10% cut in pay for the next 10 years, receiving shares in the airline in return.
The proposal is also made to Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur. Arthur, through a spokesman, informs airline officials that he will see that it receives a $1-million interest-free loan if the employees accept the wage proposal and if additional financial support can be found.
The carrier is unable to achieve this degree of viability and shuts its doors for good on April 18.
CARIB SKYALLIANCE. See AIR CARAIBES, S. A.; LIAT (1974), LTD.; WIA (WINDWARD ISLANDS AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL, N. V.)
CARIB WEST AIRWAYS, LTD.: Barbados (1971-1980). Barbadian investors form Carib West in January 1971 to develop and provide charter cargo flights. Chairman Harold A. Went and his eight employees acquire a pair of Douglas DC-3s and use them to inaugurate services in March. Flying from Bridgetown’s Seawell International Airport, the freighters fly to islands in the Windward and Leeward groups, plus Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and Miami.
Having arrived from Trinidad and Dominica on September 9, a DC-3 with two crew strikes a mountain while on approach to Guadeloupe; there are no survivors.
Following removal of the DC-3s in mid-decade, the company is able to lease one each DC-6A and Lockheed L-188CF, the latter first flown by Eastern Air Lines. The chartered Electra is returned in 1978.
Unable to maintain viability in the face of economic downturn and increased fuel bills, the carrier stops trading in 1980.
CARIBA AIR: United States (1980-1982). Frederick H. Rehm founds Cariba Air at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1980 to undertake scheduled passenger and cargo services to St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands. Employing a fleet of 2 Douglas DC-3s, the company undertakes revenue flights in the spring.
Unable to overcome fiscal hardships in a year of recession, the Cariba ceases operations in 1982.
CARIBAIR (1). See CARIBBEAN ATLANTIC AIRLINES (CARIB-AIR)
CARIBAIR (2). See CARIBBEAN AIRBOATS
1804. CARIBBEAN AIR CARGO, LTD. (CARICARGO): Trinidad and Tobago/Barbados (1979-1993). Organized on December 28, 1979, this all-cargo operation begins revenue service in 1980 with a pair of Douglas DC-4Fs. Later in the year, it acquires 2 former Northwest Airlines Boeing 707-351Cs. Regular, but nonscheduled, flights are inaugurated on February 27, 1981. New York, Miami, and Houston are the principal U. S. destinations; however, a Caribbean feeder service is linked via Dominica, Grenada, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent.
After losing the No. 3 engine to fire, a DC-4 with two crew suffers control difficulties and is ditched at sea off St. Croix on March 28; there are no fatalities.
Flights continue in 1982-1986.
Following the 1987 demise of Caribbean Airways, Ltd., Barbados takes a financial interest and a leased Curtiss C-46A is brought into the fleet.
In May 1988 , the carrier begins to offer weekly B-707-351C services from New York (JFK) to Trinidad and Barbados on Saturdays, with connecting service to Guyana, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, St. Martin, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Antigua. Specific commodity rates to the U. S. and Canada are offered for manufactured goods, agricultural products, and seafood.
Beginning in 1989, the marketplace becomes more difficult and by
1992, the 200 employees of what is sometimes known as “Caricargo,” led by Chairman Peter Look-Hong are down to a single Boeing freighter. Unable to maintain its viability, the company closes down in
1993.
CARIBBEAN AIR SERVICES (CASAIR) (1): United States (1968-1979). When Virgin Island Airways ceases operations in 1968, its assets are purchased by Bill Bohike Sr., who establishes this successor company at St. Croix and resumes Beech 18 flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
On May 1, 1974, the company is purchased by Midland Capital. The earlier emphasis on scheduled and nonscheduled air taxi operations is now changed. The company’s new certificate from the CAB grants it authority to operate a scheduled commuter line with an exemption to operate large aircraft. Priority is now given to cargo operations as a fleet of Curtiss C-46s, eventually 8 in total, is assembled to supplement the Beech 18s and Douglas DC-3s already available.
Daily, roundtrip, revenue passenger flights commence to San Juan, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, and Guadeloupe. All-freight services are flown from St. Lucia to Haiti.
Other destinations served during the remainder of the decade and in the 1970s include Miami, Aguadilla, St. Martin, and St. Thomas. Douglas DC-3s and DC-6s join the fleet and airline employment in 1978 stands at 60. The base of operations is transferred to San Juan in 1979 when the airline is sold to the owners of Southern Air Transport.
World History
