WILLEMSTAD – Local airline Z Air officially received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) on Friday afternoon from the Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) for operating its first Embraer 140 aircraft. With this approval, the airline is now authorized to begin ticket sales for flights operated with the new jet.
The certification process took several weeks, during which Z Air had to demonstrate full operational readiness for the new aircraft type. This included the successful completion of test flights, as the Embraer 140 is a new aircraft model for both Z Air and the CCAA.
Z Air Director René Winkel expressed appreciation for the support of Minister Charles Cooper, the airline’s own technical team, and the CCAA staff who oversaw the certification. “Their collaboration was crucial to getting this aircraft approved for service,” Winkel said on Friday.
Flights to St. Maarten to Begin Soon
Although Z Air reports being flooded with inquiries from eager passengers about the launch of the new routes, Winkel emphasized that flights will not begin immediately. The airline still awaits operational approval from authorities in Sint Maarten and Colombia for its intended flight schedule. Only after that will ticket sales commence.
Flights to Sint Maarten are expected to launch within the next few weeks, followed by service to other destinations including Medellín, Colombia.
Second Embraer and Expanded Fleet
Z Air also confirmed it will soon receive a second Embraer 140 and has recruited a significant number of new pilots. While some of the airline’s current pilots will transition to flying the Embraer, newly hired pilots will operate the airline’s existing fleet of three Saab aircraft. These turboprops will continue serving regional routes between the ABC islands and Barranquilla, Colombia.
With this expansion, Z Air is poised to strengthen its regional presence and offer more connectivity between Curaçao, the wider Caribbean, and South America.
Source: Curacao Chronicle https://www.curacaochronicle.com/post/local/z-air-receives-green-light-to-launch-embraer-140-flights/
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