WILLEMSTAD/KRALENDIJK – If all goes well, Venezuelan airline Albatros Airlines will operate flights between Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire on behalf of Jet Air Caribbean.

The flights will be executed with an Embraer 120 Brasilia aircraft. Jet Air has been trying for several months to get flights, especially to Bonaire, off the ground with a wet leased aircraft, but has faced several setbacks in the process.

An ATR aircraft that the airline had in mind was not ready on time, while flights with a leased Saab340 aircraft also fell through because the aircraft did not meet all the requirements of local authorities.

Remarkable choice

The choice of Albatros is somewhat remarkable, taking into consideration the carrier has a plane standing in Curaçao for a few weeks now, after it was seized by third parties due to an ongoing issue with outstanding payments to an international airline maintenance provider.  Although it is not the same aircraft that will be used by Jet Air, it does shed a somewhat negative light on the financial stability of Albatros.

Aircraft

The Embraer 120 ‘Brasilia’ is a turboprop propeller aircraft with 30 seats on board. The design was initially considered modern, but it is now an outdated aircraft that is still widely used on regional routes.

Under a wet lease construction, an airline uses another airline’s airplane, including insurance, crew and maintenance.