BWIA to continue flights to Suriname

by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

Friday, April 29, 2005

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Cash-strapped regional carrier BWIA will continue its flight operations to Suriname, CARICOM’s most southerly member state. The airline is also exploring the possibility of increasing the number of flights. Currently BWIA operates three flights per week to Suriname’s international Johan Adolf Pengel Airport. 

In an interview with Caribbean Net News, Carlton DeFour, BWIA’s area manager for South America refutes rumors in the Surinamese media that the company intends to terminate its flights to Paramaribo. “There are no plans for suspension of the flights to Suriname”, said the BWIA official. 

Since the start in April 2003 the Suriname flights was the fastest growing route for the airline. “The growth was phenomenal, and for that reason since it is one of the most lucrative ones we have no intension to terminate that,” DeFour added. 

Within a year after commencement BWIA shifted from Dash-8 aircraft to Boeing-737s to operate its flights to Suriname.

Asked if BWIA will join forces with Surinamese national carrier Surinam Airways to take over BWIA’s flights from Port of Spain to Curacao, DeFour said that there is no agreement on this issue between the two airlines. The possibility for cooperation has not yet been discussed between the two parties, he said, and there are no indications that such will happen in the near future. As part of the restructuring of the company BWIA has terminated its flights to Curacao, Cuba, Santo Domingo and Ireland.

A sensitive issue with Surinamese passengers is the departure time in the early morning. According to DeFour the management is looking into this matter and how to come up with a more convenient departure time. Also, BWIA will engage in talks with the Surinamese aviation authorities about this issue. 

In the near future the authorities plan to close the international airport at specific times, especially in periods of the day when there are no frequent flights to Suriname. With these measures the airport will try to cut operational costs and operate more efficiently. When the authorities take these measures airlines should reschedule their operations to and from Suriname.

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