Flights could begin between the Cayman Islands and Panama as early as February, the Compass has learned.
The long-discussed route is being proposed by Air Panama, which is looking to run a twice-weekly service.
“All that is required is an application to the authorities,” said Raul Morales, commercial manager of Air Panama. “[We will be] linking business to Panama and bringing business people, tourist and cargo to Grand Cayman. We applied for the route to the government of Panama and will ask the same from the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority.”
Part of the remit of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands is to ‘review and process applications for scheduled and non-scheduled air services from foreign and domestic carriers [and] grant air transport licenses.’ Granting operating permits for scheduled or non-scheduled or charter flights falls under this.
“As of now, we have not granted permission for Air Panama to operate within the Cayman Islands as we have not received their application,” said Cherish Sanchez of the Civil Aviation Authority when contacted by the Compass.
Should the application be granted, Mr. Morales said, the flights will run on Mondays and Fridays, starting ‘in the last part of February’. The aircraft used will be Fokker 50, Fokker 70 and Fokker 100. The Fokker 50 has a capacity of up to 58 passengers, the Fokker 70 has the ability to be configured for either 48 or 72 seats and the Fokker 100 a seating capacity of 107.
Air Panama
Air Panama currently serves 22 destinations, nearly all domestic aside from a service to San Jose, Costa Rica. It services 175,000 passengers per year across its fleet of 15 aircraft and runs both scheduled and charter flights.
In November, 2011, acting Director of Tourism Shomari Scott said the Cayman Islands government was in ‘extremely preliminary’ discussions involving Cayman Airways for a Panama route, with a view to servicing the Panamanian and upcoming Brazilian market. Panama is seen as a bridge to Latin America and has the added benefit that visas are not needed, as is the case with travellers connecting through Miami.
Demetrius Canton of Expedia told the Compass at the time that Brazil could be a growth market for Cayman because travellers from that country were used to paying high hotel prices and expected high-end service.
A long-term supporter of the flight route is William Peguero of Eaglemount, who has been involved with Chamber of Commerce trade missions to Panama.
“This would open up South America,” he said.
The Chamber of Commerce will visit Panama in March for the 2012 Trade Mission.
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