Caribbean News
Caicos Express Airways Celebrates 10 Years
Hard work – determination – teamwork – consistent and reliable services – the secret to ten years for Caicos Express Airways.
#TurksandCaicos, December 31, 2021 – Caicos Express Airways is owned by two long-time friends and pilots: Captain Friedise Registre-CEO and Accountable Manager, and Richardson Arthur-Managing Director and Training Pilot. Both are equal owners; Captain Friedise started the company and was later joined by Captain Arthur.
The company started as a charter carrier in 2007 and In 2011, the company started scheduled flights between the islands. Ten years later, the company added International flights and continues to grow in destinations, airplanes, and passenger count.
Some of the countries Caicos Express Airways flew to are Cap Haitian Haiti, Port Au Prince Haiti, Santo Domingo Dominican Rep, Santiago Dominican Rep, and throughout Turks and Caicos. It has also operated charter flights to Jamaica, Cayman, Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean.
The first plane that the company had was the Piper Aztec PA23; it has now retired. The company currently has three C402C and two Beechcraft 1900C. It is looking to add two aircraft in 2022.
Operations Manager Stephane Menelas commented on the 10-year achievement. He said, “We are very proud and happy. It’s been a challenging and a lot of hard work to make it to this milestone.”
Menelas added that one of the biggest challenges has been coping with each country’s constant changes and regulations. Every country has different aviation laws, jurisdictions, and immigration requirements to protect its countries and people. However, Caicos Airways, a small company, struggled to adjust in this regard.
He also said the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the company. He said that there were no scheduled flights during the initial stage of the pandemic, and the staff was reduced. Pre-pandemic, there were 65 staff members. The company is still undergoing the impact of the pandemic, but Menelas said they have managed to recover partially. Now, the staff is heading back to its previous numbers; the company now has at least 60 people on its staff.
“It’s like watching a child grow,” said Menelas, as he reflected on the milestone and the challenges the company had to overcome. He said passion keeps them going and that the team has a love affair with aviation and airplanes.
“We love what we do, and we want to keep providing great service to our customers,” he added. Menelas said the customers are also the reasons behind the ten-year milestone. He thanked them for their commitment, love, and support to Caicos Airways.
The company does not only focus on issues within the company. Menelas mentioned the company’s goals regarding the Turks and Caicos Islands. He said, “we believe in the future of this country.”
He said another goal for the company is to expand, and by doing so, there will be a need to hire and train workers, specifically young people. This is to build the country and carry on the love of aviation and the legacy of Caicos Airways.
“We are a very generous company, and we donate a lot to charitable organisations even though you will not see us publicising that. A few that we are proud of are those that are helping the children in need,” Menelas added.
He said there is one project where hot meals are provided to primary school students in need in neighbouring islands. The company also sponsored an organisation that provide school supplies to children and have transported over 12 thousand pounds of relief supplies to Haiti during their earthquake disasters.
“We almost never say NO to providing help either in cash or transporting of supplies and goods to those in need,” he said. Menelas added that Caicos Express Airways is not closed off to possibilities.
Though the company has celebrated its tenth year, one that the staff is proud of, there was no grand event or celebration. Menelas said this was to ensure the staff stays safe. He said that while the pandemic persists, the company yearns for the understanding of customers and travel relief from the authorities.
He said the company is looking forward to “more life and more strength.”
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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