Airlines in Antigua & Barbuda

[lospilotos]

I´m seeking information of an airline that supposedly was based in Antigua & Barbuda, having routes to India, The Middle East and Europe. Can´t find any doing it currently, was there such an airline in the late 80-s/early 90-s?

Thanks
/Lospilotos

[ipanema]

The only Caribbean airline I know of currently about to start service to Gatwick and (still) politically mandated to operate to India, South Africa (and now Panama) is Caribbean Airlines, the national Airline Of Trinidad & Tobago owned by the Trinidad & Tobago government. They absorbed Air Jamaica several months ago.

The airline had changed their Chairman just over a year ago. The young incoming Chairman (an MBA, apparently from an institution named Harvard in Outer Turkmenistan) apparently took over a company with almost US$200 million in the bank, fired the CEO, and embarked on a "shopping spree" which actually reached almost half a billion US dollars, but which by public newspaper reports was expected to be well over US $3 billion.

With adverse remarks from his Minister, a few weeks ago the young Chairman petulantly subitted his resignation - for the fourth time, all by email - and this time it was accepted and they moved on.

He left an airline which still owes large amounts of money, is still unable to pay for seven out of nine ATR-72-600 aircraft ordered, is apparently unable to pay the leases on two 767 aircraft for the purpose of flying to Gatwick, had to wet lease two more 767s because of having only 120 minutes ETOPS, and the local Authority (AATT) apparently found themselves short as well with no trained officers to police the national airline on that type.

The new Chairman is an unqualified political appointee, so we don't expect anything to get any better. In fact, public rumour has it that - contrary to official government policy - he has already ordered a brand new US$100,000 Audi for his personal use.

But the airline's financing comes from a bottomless pocket (known as the "public trough") - the taxpayers of Trinidad & Tobago. As we say in the Caribbean, "No problem, man".

For full historical information on this airline (and all others operating in the Caribbean Basin) please see the Caribbean Regional Aviation Network...
• CRANe for the Caribbean :: Welcome, everyone!! •

[lospilotos]

Thanks for the info. I´ve now learnt that the airline I´m seeking info on was (is?) called Caribjet (ICAO: CBJ). Looks like they operated a couple of Tristars and A300 on wet lease for e.g. Air India. Could anyone tell me more of the history of this airline and what routes it flew?

Thanks!

[LimaFoxTango]

I think the only relation that company had to Antigua is that the aircraft had a V2- registration and nothing else. A quick check at planespotters.net reveals that Caribjet had two A300's and one L1011. Airfleets.net indicates they had three L1011's. Where they went and what happened to that company I have no clue.

[Gooneyone]

Several years (or decades) ago there was a start-up in Antigua called Arfo-Caribbean Airways ( if I recall correctly). They had a single DC8 on the ramp for several months then it literally flew away. Never heard of them doing any revenue flights.

[Need to Know Basis]

UK

Ipanema, looks like your comments ref Caribbean and UK operations has now manifested itself. The schedule has been reduced from the intended x 6 per week starting 14th June to just x 2 per week and using the Omni B767 under acmi !