Caricom Airways

Caricom Airways, which stands for Caribbean Commuter Airways, was a regional airline from the Caribbean, with the headquarters of the company at Paramaribo, Suriname. From the down-town Zorg en Hoop Airport in Suriname, Caricom Airways mainly flew charter flights to various destinations in the interior of Suriname, the Caribbean and Northern Brazil.

Caricom Airways had plans for regular flights to regional destinations. The airline had earlier temporarily set those plans aside for cooperation with Surinam Airways (SLM = Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij). As its feeder commuter airline Caricom Airways carried out few scheduled flights to the hinterland of Suriname for SLM. This National airline, Surinam Airways (SLM), in collaboration with Caricom Airways, reintroduced domestic service to various destinations in Suriname using three aircraft belonging to Caricom Airways: two Islanders and a Cessna 206. Operational control remained in the hands of Caricom Airways. SLM periodically performed quality checks on the aircraft and audited Caricom Airways. Passengers were eventually able to book these domestic flights through SLM's worldwide booking, which the airline had hoped to spur the local tourism industry. This joint venture also included METS Tours, a subsidiary of Surinam Airways. Caricom Airways retained its identity but joined SLM's quality program and flew with their colours.

Caricom Airways was earlier planning to add four 50 seat-turboprops to its fleet of smaller Islander, Cessna and Piper aircraft to launch regional scheduled flights. The airline did not finalize this flight schedule, but the plan was to serve Boa Vista International Airport (BVB), Bridgetown Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) and St. Lucia Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) from Paramaribo Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM). It had previously planned to operate scheduled flights to several Eastern Caribbean islands from its Caribbean hub at Saint Lucia but never received the necessary approvals.

History
The company was founded on April 13, 2004, as Kuyake Aviation (Kuyake is Surinamese for toucan). At first the main mission of the company was to provide flight training towards the Private & Commercial Pilot License. Kuyake Aviation started with a Cessna 337G Super Skymaster (PZ-PYV) and a Cessna 172R Skyhawk (PZ-NYQ). Later in 2005 a Cessna 206H Stationair (PZ-TYA) airplane was added. In August 2006 a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PZ-PTA) with Panther conversion was bought followed by another Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PZ-TYW).

In 2009 the main focus shifted from flight training to Commercial Services. With this change of mission the decision was also made to split the company to "Caribbean Commuter Airways N.V." (abbreviated: Caricom Airways N.V.) and "Kuyake Aviation Academy".

Caricom Airways had a fleet expansion in 2010 when two Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander (PZ-TYD & PZ-TYL) arrived for passenger charters. In 2013 Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander (PZ-TYD) was painted in full SLM Commuter colours with small Caricom Airways titles, named "Village of Djumu".

Kuyake Aviation was also based at the Zorg en Hoop Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname and was a modern school facility operating a fleet of Cessna Aircraft & Simulators all equipped with the latest in Glass Cockpit Technology. Caribbean Commuter Airways in the meantime was divided into Caricom Airways Barbados as a regional charter airline and Caricom Airways Suriname, both using the Caribbean Commuter Airways logo, and operating as a domestic charter airline within Suriname and the Caribbean region, together with running the Caricom Airways Flight Academy effectively with Kuyake Aviation Flight Academy.

In 2011 a cooperation was reached with EZ AIR from Bonaire, this company regularly flew between Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba, later also to Saba and Sint Maarten using two Islanders, eventually taking over one Islander aircraft (PZ-TYD to PJ-TYD) from Caricom Airways. In 2018 the owners of Caricom Airways moved to Curacao to open up a new airline and flight school to be named " Dutch Caribbean Islandhopper".

Former Fleet
Caricom Airways had a fleet of different types of aircraft.

Former Destinations
Caricom Airways flew charters to 67 destinations, including 62 within the CARICOM and 5 abroad:


 * Flag of CARICOM.svg CARICOM Destinations
 * Flag of Anguilla.svg Anguilla, The Valley (Anguilla Wallblake Airport)
 * Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua, Saint John (VC Bird International Airport)
 * Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados, Bridgetown (Grantley Adams International Airport)
 * Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica, Marigot (Melville Hall Airport), Roseau (Canefield Airport)
 * Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada, St. George's (Point Salines International Airport)
 * Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana, Georgetown (Cheddi Jagan International Airport)
 * Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana, Georgetown (Ogle Airport)
 * Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat, John A. Osborne Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts & Nevis, Basseterre (Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts & Nevis, Charlestown (Vance W. Amory International Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia, Castries (George FL Charles Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia Vieux-Fort (Hewanorra International Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Kingstown (Argyle International Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bequia (JF Mitchell Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Canouan (Canouan Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Mustique (Mustique Airport)
 * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Union Island (Union Island Airport)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname, Afobaka (Afobaka Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Alalapadu (Alalapadu Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Albina (Albina Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Amatopo (Amatopo Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Apetina (Apetina Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Bakhuis Mountains (Bakhuys Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Botopasi (Botopassi Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Cabana (Cabana Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Kajana (Cayana Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Coeroeni (Coeroeni Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Djoemoe (Djoemoe Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Donderskamp (Donderskamp Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Drietabbetje (Drietabbetje Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Gakaba (Gakaba Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Godo Holo (Godo Holo Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Gross Rose Bell (Gross Rosebell Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Kabalebo (Kabalebo Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Käyser Mountains (Käyser Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Kwamelasemoetoe (Kwamelasemoetoe Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Laduani (Laduani Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Langatabbetje (Langatabbetje Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Lawa Anapaike (Lawa Anapaike Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Lawa Antino (Lawa Antino Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Lawa Cottica (Lawa Cottica Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Lawa Tabiki (Lawa Tabiki Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Lely Mountains (Lelygebergte Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Moengo (Moengo Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname, New Nickerie (Major Henk Fernandes Airport)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname, Njoeng Jacob Kondre (Njoeng Jacob Kondre Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Paloemeu (Paloemeu Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Paramaribo (Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Paramaribo (Zorg en Hoop Airport)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Poeketi (Poeketi Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Poesoegroenoe (Poesoegroenoe Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Ragoebarsing (Ragoebarsing Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Raleigh Falls (Raleigh Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Sarakreek (Sarakreek Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Saramacca (Henri Alwies Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Sipaliwini Savanna (Sipaliwini Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Stoelmanseiland (Stoelmanseiland Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname, Tafelberg (Tafelberg Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Tepoe (Tepoe Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Totnes (Totness Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname, Four Brothers (Vier Gebroeders Airstrip)
 * Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Wageningen (Wageningen Airstrip)
 * Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Tobago, Scarborough (Crown Point Airport)
 * Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad, Port of Spain (Piarco International Airport)

Outside the CARICOM:
 * Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil, Belém (Val de Cans International Airport)
 * Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Boa Vista (Boa Vista International Airport)
 * Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Macapá (Macapa International Airport)
 * Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Manaus (Eduardo Gomes International Airport)
 * Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Santarém (Santarém Airport)