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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:25 am Post subject: News Headline | Island Air looks to bright future - Fly and Dive Little Cayman in the SAME DAY! |
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From Caymanian Compass:
Island Air looks to bright future
By Cliodhna McGowan,
Wednesday 22nd February, 2006 Posted: 23:38 CIT (04:38 +1 GMT)
Island Air is still flying high all around the Caribbean and its future is looking bright despite finishing its domestic scheduled flights seven months ago, according to Managing Director Marcus Cumber.
Fuel costs, insurance premiums, business costs and subsidised Government competition had forced the airline to discontinue its scheduled flights to the Sister Islands in July. These flights had been running for the past 16 years.
However, its charter flights business has really expanded and now includes exciting day trips to Havana, Montego Bay and Little Cayman.
Mr. Cumber commented, ?With one door closing another one opens.?
He said that the charter business is working out very well for the airline, and merged with a number of other areas of business, things are on the up. Other areas include being the fuelling agent for Texaco for all corporate aircraft and providing handling for private aircraft, along with leasing corporate office space.
?Overall, the future of Island Air looks bright,? he enthused, adding that December and January have been fantastic months for business.
However, the summer had been slow, but he had known it would be, as it was the first summer since Hurricane Ivan.
It was also slow because of the crossover with the domestic schedule and the active marketing to promote the private charters. It had been a particularly difficult time for the company as it had just said goodbye to 12 good employees in line with the domestic scheduled flights finishing. There are now eight employees working with the company.
Next Thursday 2 March sees the start of a whole new excursion package for Island Air.
?We got permission in December from Civil Aviation to run a day trip to Little Cayman, where passengers can dive and fly in the same day,? Mr. Cumber said.
This is a trip the airline has wanted to do for years. It enables customers to leave Grand Cayman at 7.15am, arrive in Little Cayman at 7.45am, be on a boat for a two?tank dive by 8.30am and spend some time in the afternoon by the pool or exploring the island before the plane leaves at 3.30pm, to be back in Grand Cayman by 4pm. The cost is US$215 per person inclusive of airfare, lunch and dive for this entire trip, with eight people.
Initially, this day trip will take place on Tuesdays, with the hope to expand it to Thursdays and Sundays also.
?We?re anticipating a demand from expatriates and locals to go on their day off,? Mr. Cumber said.
Another day trip that is ongoing is a golf trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for US$350 per person, for a group of eight. The plane leaves at 7am and is back in Grand Cayman by 7pm.
Also ongoing, and proving popular with hotels such as the Ritz?Carlton, Grand Cayman, is a day trip to Havana, Cuba. For US$387 per person, a party of eight can travel to this historic and cultural city. The plane departs at 7.30am and is back in Grand Cayman by 7pm.
Champagne and croissants are included in the latter two trips.
Another option for passengers is air cruising, where a group designs their own vacation and charters Island Air to take them to a set number of destinations over the course of, say, a week.
Eventually, Island Air hopes to branch into business with cruise ship passengers, taking them on domestic day trips.
Island Air?s two Piper Navajo aircraft are available 24/7 to any destination in the Caribbean, he asserts.
And the private airline still maintains a strong relationship with the Sister Islands. It still operates its air ambulance service to the Sister Islands and to Cuba and Jamaica. Mr. Cumber asserts that the temporary lights recently placed on the grass runway in Little Cayman are a great addition, and can be seen for 10 miles away.
Some loyal customers from the Sister Islands charter the aircraft for inter?island travel and the airline also transports perishable produce to the Sisters when barges can?t get there in inclement weather.
?We?re still committed to the Sister Islands and like to be involved with the Sister Islands,? Mr. Cumber asserted. |
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Joe Stebbins
Editor
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FAQ
I repeat Nada, No No, not gonna happen....I just received a Email from Island Air heres is what they sent me via E-Mail:
Personally I was planning on this while vacationing in Grand Cayman. I am greatly saddened by this terrible news 
