Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Marcus Cumber Island Air Operations Manager

Island Air (IA) saved the day on Little Cayman Friday 16 June when the only Cayman Airways Express Service aircraft currently operating had technical problems that delayed flights for most of the day.

Though the Cayman Airways Jet Service runs four flights weekly to Cayman Brac, the Express is the only scheduled airline that services Little Cayman, since IA ended their scheduled service to the Sister Islands in June 2005.

At the time, IA announced it was unable to compete against the government subsidized CAL Express Service, and has since concentrated on the charter market.

Manager of the Express Service Thom Guyton said disruption to the schedule on Friday was caused by a radio glitch.

"There were minor avionics squawks. Everything was not perfect and everything has to be perfect," he said.

However, this was rectified late afternoon, and the first flight took off from Grand Cayman around 4:30 pm.

Kate Ferreira Manager of Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman thought that IA was doing a "stunning job" Friday. She said the pilot of the charter air service had been going back and forth all day, enabling her guests to leave the Island.

Some guests were booked on the twice weekly British Airways flight from Grand Cayman to the UK that day, and would have missed their connection if it weren't for IA, she added.

According to IA Operations Manager Marcus Cumber, the management of the Express Service had approached Island Air to act as a back-up service from 29 May, when the lease on their two Twin Otter aircraft ran out, until the new aircraft were in operation.

"Island Air has been used as back-up for CAL Express several times over the last two weeks. We have flown for four days for rotational purposes to help them with their schedule," said Mr Cumber.

"Island Air is grateful for any business from the public or private sector, and we are very happy to be of service to the people of the Sister Islands," he added.

Tourism Minister, the Hon Charles Clifford, who has responsibility for Cayman Airways Limited (CAL), announced the purchase of the two new Twin Otter aircraft for the Express Service at a public meeting on Cayman Brac, held on Friday 2 June.

Mr Clifford explained that the lease on the two previous aircraft had expired at the end of May, and options for the continuation of uninterrupted service to the Sister Islands had been considered.

Subsequently, Government had instructed the CAL Board of Directors to purchase the two aircraft. The first of these planes was in service at the beginning of June, and the second was due to arrive 9 June.

Though it had not arrived by Friday, Mr Guyton said he expected it to have arrived by Wednesday 21 June and be in operation by the end of that week.

Mr Guyton was very happy with the progress on both of the new aircraft, given the scope of the work to get the planes to the airline's operational standards and to meet Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority standards, he said.

"This is a big thing and we didn't have a lot of time. I couldn't be happier with the work being done." With CAL staff on site, work on the aircraft was being carried out by contracted maintenance crew, he said.

Ms Ferreira noted that the ground staff of CAL on Little Cayman had been doing an excellent job at keeping them informed.

"They have been calling regularly with updates and let the guests stay at the resort until the last minute, so they didn't have to sit around outside at the airport," she said.

Mr Clifford also announced at the Brac meeting that, effective 1 July, the schedule for the Cayman Express Service would be increased from four to six round trip daily flights between the three Islands.

These six daily flights would run every day except for scheduled maintenance days, and even then, there would be five flights. Ms Ferreira described this increase as very positive.
"It's definitely needed and welcomed by all of us on Little Cayman," she said.

The budgetary provision for the Express Services to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for the current financial year was $1.094 million, as discussed in the Finance Committee of the Legislature Assembly.

nicky@caymannetnews.com

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