Airlines

BWIA to Close Down on New Year´s Eve

Trinidad and Tobago national airline, BWIA, is to be shut down by December 31, 2006. A new company, Caribbean Airlines, is to take the place of BWIA. The decision to close down BWIA was announced late Friday in Port of Spain following a meeting between several labour union officials representing workers and BWIA´s management.

Delta Plans Atlanta-Guadeloupe Service with December Launch

Delta will launch twice-weekly flights between Atlanta and Guadeloupe on December 13, subject to government approval. The flights will depart Atlanta at 9:55 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving in Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 3:10 p.m.

Colombia´s Aeropostal Increases Flights to the Dominican Republic

Aeropostal, the Colombian airline, has been flying to Santo Domingo for the last 10 years, with 14 weekly flights. In May of this year Aeropostal began to offer its route to Puerto Plata with a couple of weekly roundtrip flights.

Delta, KLM Sign Codesharing Agreement on Flights in Europe, the U.S.

SkyTeam carriers Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will start codesharing beyond their hubs, following approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year. The two carriers will provide customers with service to destinations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East from their hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta and New York-JFK.

Ryanair to Permit Cell Phone Use

Ryanair Holdings PLC, the low-cost Irish airline, unveiled a deal that will allow passengers to use mobile phones and other hand-held devices during flights, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. Ryanair has signed up telecom company OnAir-partly owned by European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. to fit its fleet with a lightweight technology that will allow passengers to make and receive cell phone calls, text messages and emails while in flight.

Air Jamaica to Ramp Up Flights to St. Lucia, Barbados

Air Jamaica has announced an increase in service to the Eastern Caribbean nations of St. Lucia and Barbados, effective January 11, 2007. George deMercado, senior executive of Air Jamaica, announced that the airline will boost its nonstop schedule from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia from three to four weekly flights, adding northbound and southbound flights on Wednesday to the current Sunday, Monday and Thursday rotation.