Surinam Airways

History

Foundation and early years

The airline was established in 1953 by private entrepreneurs Rudi Kappel and Herman van Eyck as the Kappel-Van Eyck Aviation Company (), aimed at operating feeder flights from a domestic network. Scheduled operations started with two Cessna 170Bs in January 1955 with domestic flights between Paramaribo and Moengo. From 1955 until 2005 Surinam Airways operated an extensive domestic network.

On 30 August 1962, the company was purchased from Herman van Eyck by the Surinamese government and renamed Surinam Airways or in Dutch SLMSurinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij. The logo of Surinam Airways depicts a 'Sabaku', which is a Surinamese word for cattle egret. From 1964 Surinam Airways started scheduled international operations to Curaçao together with ALM Antillean Airlines.

Upon the country's independence in , the carrier was appointed as the national airline of the Republic of Suriname, and it also started services to Amsterdam using a Douglas DC-8-63 (registration: PH-DEM, named '25 November') that was leased from KLM.

In , the carrier had 400 employees. At this time, the fleet consisted of a Douglas DC-8-63, a Douglas DC-8-50CF (registration: PH-DCW, named 'Sabaku') and three Twin Otters (PZ-TCD, PZ-TCE & PZ-TCF). It operated international routes to Amsterdam, Belém, Curacao, Georgetown, Manaus, Miami and Panama City, and domestic services to Apoera, Avanavero, Bakhuys, Djoemoe, Ladouanie, Moengo and Nieuw Nickerie. In 1983 the regional routes were flown with a Boeing 737-200 (registration OY-APR) leased from Maersk Air (named 'Tjon Tjon'). The transatlantic route was flown with DC-8s leased from Arrow Air, DC-8-62 registered N1806 and also DC-8-63, registered N4935C, named '''Stanvaste'''. From May 1993 until April 1999 a DHC-8-300 Dash 8 (registration: N106AV) was used on the regional routes.

On 7 June 1989, a Douglas DC-8-62 (registration: N1809E, first named Fajalobi, later re-christened Anthony Nesty crashed on approach to Zanderij Airport, killing 175 occupants on board. From January 1996 until December 1999 Surinam Airways used a MD-87 (PZ-TCG, named District of Para) and thereafter a DC-9-51 (PZ-TCK, named District of Wanica and an MD-82 (PZ-TCL, named City of Paramaribo) on the regional routes.

Development since 2000

, the airline had 543 employees.

From August 2004 until the end of 2009 Surinam Airways operated a Boeing 747-300 (PZ-TCM, named 'Ronald Elwin Kappel'), which was purchased from KLM. It was replaced with a 317-seater Airbus A340-300 (PZ-TCP, named Palulu) and later another younger A340-300 (registration: PZ-TCR). In early 2009, Surinam Airways ordered two Boeing 737-300s (PZ-TCN, named District of Commewijne and PZ-TCO, named District of Marrowijne to replace its McDonnell Douglas MD-82s. In 2014, it was announced that the airline would acquire another wide-body aircraft to complement its Airbus A340-300 on international services. A Boeing 737-700 (PZ-TCS, named 'District of Saramacca') was leased from DAE Capital and arrived on 30 April 2018 in Suriname and became operational in May 2018, this plane was formerly flown by Air China. In December 2018 a second Boeing 737-700 (PZ-TCT, named 'District of Brokopondo') arrived, formerly flown by Aeromexico and leased from Aircastle.

From December 2019, a Boeing 777-200ER was leased from Boeing Capital to replace the Airbus A340-300 previously used on the Paramaribo – Amsterdam route. The aircraft was registered PZ-TCU, named '''Bird of the Green Paradise''' with a special livery and performed its first commercial ETOPS flight in December 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and possible high maintenance costs the B777 was returned in March 2021. It was parked for a while in Victorville. Now Boeing is using this aircraft as its new ecoDemonstrator.

On June 3, 2025, Surinam Airways was included in the List of airlines banned in the European Union with the rest of the Suriname Airlines.

Corporate affairs

At one time the company had its head office at Mr. Jagernath Lachmonstraat 136.

, Surinam Airways was the owner of both the only terminal in Zanderij Airport and the only ground handling company in that airport.

On 16 April 2021, the Surinamese Government, during the SLM General Meeting of shareholders, appointed Dutchman Paul de Haan as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Surinam Airways (SLM). In January 2022 Xaviera Jessurun was appointed by the Government as chairman of the board of the SLM. On 9 April 2022, Frenchman Yves Guibert was appointed as the new senior vice president operations. In July 2022 the management of Surinam Airways announced the company would dry lease a Boeing 737-800 for its regional routes in order to reduce its Monthly expenditure. The financially troubled Surinamese airline will use government owned gold company's Grassalco's gold stock as cover for financing facility converted into a term deposit for the SLM recovery plan. "The recovery plan is based on a formulated business plan, in which the revenues for the coming period are projected, based on the planned operations. With a thorough implementation of the recovery plan, it is assumed that no claim will have to be made to the coverage provided," the senior management of the company reports on 25 July 2022.

Destinations

Surinam Airways operates scheduled services to the following destinations, . Terminated destinations are also listed.

Codeshare agreements

• Winair

Interline agreements

• APG Airlines

Fleet

Current fleet

, Surinam Airways operates the following aircraft:

Additionally, Surinam Airways leases additional aircraft to operate its sole long-haul route; as of early 2025 an Airbus A340-600 is in service.

Historic fleet

Surinam Airways operated the following aircraft throughout its history:

• Airbus A340-300
• Beech G-18S
• Bell 47G Helicopter
• Boeing 707-320C
• Boeing 737-200
• Boeing 737-300
• Boeing 737-700
• Boeing 747-200B
• Boeing 747-300SCD
• Boeing 777-200ER
• Cessna UC-78C Bobcat
• Cessna 170B
• Cessna 206
• de Havilland Canada Dash 6-100 Twin Otter
• de Havilland Canada Dash 6-300 Twin Otter
• de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300
• Douglas C-47A
• Douglas C-47B
• Douglas DC-6A
• Douglas DC-6B
• Douglas DC-8 Series 50
• Douglas DC-8 Super 60 Series (-62 and -63 models)
• McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50
• McDonnell Douglas MD-80
• Piper PA-18 Super Cub
• Piper PA-23-160 Apache E

Accidents and incidents

• On 5 May 1978, a Douglas DC-6 from the Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij, registered N3493F, was damaged beyond repair while landing at Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport on a cargo flight from Curaçao Hato International Airport. All three occupants survived.
• On 7 June 1989, Flight 764, a US-registered Douglas DC-8, crashed 3 km west of Zanderij Airport while on approach due to a pilot error. Out of 187 occupants on board, only 11 people survived the accident. The flight remains the worst in Suriname's history.

References

References

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