Curacao’s InselAir pursues pan-Caribbean strategy, starting with Aruba

Curacao-based InselAir is planning to launch a sister carrier in Aruba in 1Q2012, the first step towards potentially establishing a pan-Caribbean airline group. InselAir is also planning to add two MD83s in 1Q2012, including an aircraft modified to operate flights of up to six hours, which will be used to launch service to Sao Paulo.

InselAir CEO Albert Kluyver says InselAir Aruba will launch services in Jan-2012 with an initial fleet of one MD83 and two Fokker 50 turboprops. The group has identified 10 routes for the new carrier but Mr Kluyver says InselAir Aruba will initially serve only four destinations: Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Venezuela. He says six routes are expected to be operated within the first year, including Brazil and Ecuador.

Future planned destinations for InselAir Aruba include Colombia, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. "We will focus our growth in Aruba," Mr Kluyver says.