Wikipedia

Winair

This article is about the Netherlands Antilles airline. For the former United States charter airline, see WinAir Airlines.

Winair (short for Windward Islands Airways International NV) is a government-owned Dutch regional airline based in Sint Maarten. Founded in 1961 by Georges Greaux and Hippolyte Ledee, It has a fleet of six aircraft serving twelve destinations, mostly within the Leeward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles in the North East Caribbean. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Princess Juliana International Airport.[4] Since 1 March 2023, it has been a part of the Flying Blue frequent-flyer programme.[5]

Winair
IATA ICAO Call sign
WM WIA WINDWARD
Founded24 August 1961; 63 years ago (1961-08-24)[1]
Commenced operations5 July 1962; 62 years ago (1962-07-05)[1]
HubsPrincess Juliana International Airport
Frequent-flyer programFlying Blue
AllianceCaribsky[2]
Fleet size8
Destinations16
HeadquartersPrincess Juliana International Airport, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Key peopleHans van de Velde (CEO)[3]
Founders
  • Georges Greaux
  • Hippolyte Ledee
Websitewww.fly-winair.sx

History

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Windward Islands Airways was founded in 1961 by Georges Greaux[1] with additional investments from Hipployte Ledee, Chester Wathey, Louis Richardson, and a handful of others. The airline required short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft to service certain airports such as Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on Saba, which has the shortest commercial runway in the world.[6] The 1 December 1963, Windward Islands Airways timetable lists flights between St. Maarten and Saba operated with STOL-capable Dornier Do-28 aircraft.[7] Winair began flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters in January 1967.[8]

Destinations

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Winair operates services to the following scheduled destinations:[9]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Antigua and Barbuda St. John's V. C. Bird International Airport
Aruba Oranjestad Queen Beatrix International Airport
Barbados Bridgetown Grantley Adams International Airport [10]
Bonaire Kralendijk Flamingo International Airport [11]
British Virgin Islands Tortola Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
Curaçao Willemstad Curaçao International Airport
Dominica Marigot Douglas–Charles Airport
Haiti Port-au-Prince Toussaint Louverture International Airport
Martinique Fort-de-France Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport [12]
Puerto Rico San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Terminated
Saba Flat Point (Zion's Hill) Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Saint-Barthélemy Saint-Jean Gustaf III Airport
Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport
Newcastle, Nevis Vance W. Amory International Airport [13]
Saint Lucia Castries Hewanorra International Airport [14]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown Argyle International Airport [14]
Sint Eustatius Oranjestad F.D. Roosevelt Airport
Sint Maarten Philipsburg Princess Juliana International Airport Hub

Codeshare agreements

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Winair has interline and codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[15][16]

Fleet

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Winair de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter
 
A former Winair Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (2006).

Current fleet

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As of July 2024, Winair operates the following aircraft:[17]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
ATR 42-500 3[18] — 48
de Havilland Canada Dash 6-300 Twin Otter 5 — 19
Total 8 —

Historic fleet

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According to the 1 December 1963 Windward Islands Airways timetable the airline was operating STOL-capable Dornier Do-28 as well as Piper Apache aircraft.[7] Additionally, Winair has previously operated Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, Fokker F-27s, Beech Twin Bonanzas, and NAMC-YS 11s.[19][20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook (3rd ed.). Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 0-9653993-8-9.
  2. ^ "Three regional carriers form CaribSky alliance: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. ^ "WINAIR SAYS GOODBYE TO MICHAEL CLEAVER WELCOMES A NEW CEO | WINAIR". www.winair.sx.
  4. ^ "Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. 30 March – 5 April 2004. 96.
  5. ^ "WINAIR, KLM Flying blue frequent flyer cooperation". The Daily Herald. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  6. ^ Chilton, Nicola (8 July 2022). "What it's like to land on the world's shortest commercial runway". CNN. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Windward Islands Airways timetable". 1 December 1963.
  8. ^ "MSN 22 — Twin Otter World Database". Twin Otter World Database. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Destinations | WINAIR". www.winair.sx.
  10. ^ "Winair adds Barbados to our Caribbean Network | WINAIR". www.winair.sx. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Caribbean Airline Winair Just Returned to Bonaire". Caribjournal.com. 17 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Winair expands regional connectivity to Martinique | Loop Caribbean News".
  13. ^ "Nevis Welcomes the Return of Winair Flights Commencing March 15th". March 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Fly with Winair to St. Lucia St. Vincent this winter | WINAIR". www.winair.sx. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Winair". www.fly-winair.sx. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Surinam Airways and Winair forge an interline partnership | Loop Caribbean News".
  17. ^ "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24.
  18. ^ "WINAIR welcomes second ATR aircraft to fleet". Caribbean.loopnews.com. 28 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Civil Database". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  20. ^ reporter (10 March 2021). "Winair's 'Logo-in-a-hurry' still in use after 55 years". BES Reporter. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Aircraft Photo of N107MP | NAMC YS-11-111 | Winair - Windward Islands Airways | AirHistory.net #569919". AirHistory.net. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
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