Winair
{{Short description|Airline based in Sint Maarten}}
{{About|the Netherlands Antilles airline|the former United States charter airline|WinAir Airlines}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Winair
| logo = Logo_Winair.svg
| logo_size =
| IATA = WM
| ICAO = WIA
| callsign = WINDWARD
| founded = {{start date and age|1961|08|24|df=yes|br=yes}}{{cite book|last=Norwood|first=Tom|author2=Wegg, John |title=North American Airlines Handbook|publisher=Airways International|location=Sandpoint, ID|year=2002|edition=3rd|isbn=0-9653993-8-9|url=http://www.airwaysnews.com}}
| commenced = {{start date and age|1962|07|05|df=yes|br=yes}}
| ceased =
| aoc =
| hubs = Princess Juliana International Airport
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer = Flying Blue
| subsidiaries =
| fleet_size = 8
| destinations = 17
| parent =
| headquarters = Princess Juliana International Airport, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
| key_people = Hans van de Velde (CEO){{Cite web|url=https://www.winair.sx/press/winair-says-goodbye-to-michael-cleaver--welcomes-a-new-ceo-96|title=WINAIR SAYS GOODBYE TO MICHAEL CLEAVER WELCOMES A NEW CEO | WINAIR|website=www.winair.sx}}
| founders = {{ubl|class=nowrap
| Georges Greaux
| Hippolyte Ledee }}
| num_employees =
| website = {{URL|www.fly-winair.sx}}
}}
Winair (short for Windward Islands Airways International NV) is a government-owned Dutch regional airline based in Sint Maarten. Founded in 1961 by Georges Greaux and Hippolyte Ledee, It has a fleet of eight aircraft serving destinations mostly within the Leeward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles in the North East Caribbean. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Princess Juliana International Airport. It is also the flag carrier airline of Sint Maarten."Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. 30 March – 5 April 2004. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200339.html?search=%22Windward%20Islands%20Airways%22 96]. Since 1 March 2023, it has been a part of the Flying Blue frequent-flyer programme.{{cite news |title=WINAIR, KLM Flying blue frequent flyer cooperation |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/winair-klm-flying-blue-frequent-flyer-cooperation |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The Daily Herald |date=28 March 2023 |language=en-gb}}
History
Windward Islands Airways was founded in 1961 by Georges Greaux with additional investments from Hipployte Ledee, Chester Wathey, Louis Richardson, and a handful of others. The airline required short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft to service certain airports, such as Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on Saba, which has the shortest commercial runway in the world.{{cite news |last1=Chilton |first1=Nicola |title=What it's like to land on the world's shortest commercial runway |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/saba-airport-shortest-commercial-runway/index.html |access-date=18 October 2024 |work=CNN |date=8 July 2022}} The 1 December 1963, Windward Islands Airways timetable lists flights between St. Maarten and Saba operated with STOL-capable Dornier Do 28 aircraft.{{cite web |date=1 December 1963 |title=Windward Islands Airways timetable |url=http://www.timetableimages.com}} Winair began flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters in January 1967.{{Cite web |title=MSN 22 — Twin Otter World Database |url=https://twinotterworld.com/msn-22 |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=Twin Otter World Database |language=en-CA}}
Destinations
Winair operates services to the following scheduled destinations:{{Cite web|url=https://www.winair.sx/destinations|title=Destinations | WINAIR|website=www.winair.sx}}
Fleet
=Current fleet=
{{As of|2024|07}}, Winair operates the following aircraft:{{Cite web|url=https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airlines/wm-wia/fleet|title=Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map|website=Flightradar24}}
| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center" |
| Aircraft
!In service !Orders !Passengers !Notes |
|---|
| ATR 42-500
|— |48 | |
| de Havilland Canada Dash 6-300 Twin Otter
|5 |— |19 | |
| Total
!8 !— !colspan=2| |
= Historic fleet =
According to the 1 December 1963 Windward Islands Airways timetable the airline was operating STOL-capable Dornier Do-28 as well as Piper Apache aircraft. Additionally, Winair has previously operated Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, Fokker F-27s, Beech Twin Bonanzas, and NAMC-YS 11s.{{Cite web |title=Civil Database |url=https://www.scramble.nl/database/civil?op=Winair%20-%20Windward%20Islands%20Airways#results |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=www.scramble.nl}}{{Cite web |last=reporter |date=10 March 2021 |title=Winair's 'Logo-in-a-hurry' still in use after 55 years |url=https://bes-reporter.com/winairs-logo-in-a-hurry-still-in-use-after-55-years/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=BES Reporter}}{{Cite web |title=Aircraft Photo of N107MP {{!}} NAMC YS-11-111 {{!}} Winair - Windward Islands Airways {{!}} AirHistory.net #569919 |url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/569919/N107MP |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=AirHistory.net |language=en}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Winair}}
- {{Official website|http://www.fly-winair.sx}}
{{Portalbar|Aviation|Caribbean|Netherlands}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Airlines of the Netherlands Antilles
Category:Airlines of Sint Maarten