KRALENDIJK- EZ Air is in the process of further streamlining the organization, after recently having sold its two Beechcraft aircraft, and incorporating the larger Saab340 aircraft in its fleet instead.

With this transition, EZ Air has succeeded in doubling its capacity in number of seats within a relatively short time. The organization is very satisfied with the new Saab planes. “These aircraft have proven to be very reliable, reducing downtime due to technical challenges,” says EZ Air CEO René Winkel. The company also receives enthusiastic reactions from passengers. “People find the appliances pleasantly spacious and therefore comfortable. In addition, there is now almost no need to leave suitcases behind. Something no one likes.”

Maintenance

Nevertheless, the company continues to work behind the scenes to further streamline the operation. With the commissioning of the Beechcraft aircraft at the time, EZ Air stationed one aircraft on Bonaire and the other on Curaçao. This approach brings with it a number of challenges. 

“Because the maintenance takes place in Curaçao, the current working method poses many challenges for our technical department. It also means that we occasionally have to transfer crew from Bonaire to Curaçao and vice versa at the last minute to ensure that flights can still go ahead,” explains Winkel.

At the request of the technical service, both aircraft will now spend the night in Curaçao, so that the technical service can advance maintenance on both aircraft during the night. 

Pilots

A disadvantage of the decision to further streamline the process means that most of the Beechcraft pilots still living on Bonaire will have to be stationed in Curaçao. “However, we expect the benefits to outweigh the drawbacks in terms of efficiency and reliability,” says Winkel.

In the meantime, the company is working on bringing a third Saab aircraft to the islands, which should mainly serve as a spare if one of the other aircraft fails. With this, EZ Air hopes to prevent delays and schedule changes as much as possible.