Pan Am to start Caribbean-based airline
PORTSMOUTH — Pan American Airways is launching a new airline based in the Dominican Republic, the Pease International Tradeport-based carrier has announced. . .. .The new airline will be called Pan American World Airways, and plans to use a fleet of Boeing 727-200 passenger jets and British Aerospace Jetstream 31 turboprops for routes serving the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The service will start later this year, according to a Pan Am statement. . .. .Pan Am is organizing its new airline in the Dominican Republic, where it has applied for establishment and certification through the Dominican Civil Aviation Authority. . .. .Pan Am officials were not available for comment on Wednesday about whether the new airline will affect its operations at Pease. Pan Am currently employs about 600 people, the majority of whom are based at the tradeport. The airline's parent company, Guilford Transportation, is also headquartered there. . .. .David Fink, president of both airlines, announced in a statement that the new operation's mission is to establish "affordable, high-quality air service throughout Central and South America, within the Caribbean, and to the U.S. and Canada." . .. .Pan Am recently purchased 24 Boeing 727s from United Airlines, tripling its previous fleet of full-size passenger aircraft.