Mary Kirby / Washington DC
Start-up Caribbean Sun Airlines has signed on as a member of US Airways' GoCaribbean network, agreeing to carry the US major's code on its inter-island services from San Juan.
The new teaming is strategic in that it gives US Airways an opportunity to broaden its intra-Caribbean services and compete better against American Airlines and its American Eagle subsidiary, the dominant carrier in the region.
US Airways will initially place its "US" flight prefix on Caribbean Sun's Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop flights from San Juan to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The airline expects to add its code to other Caribbean Sun flights in the future.
As well as Tortola, Caribbean Sun flies from San Juan to St Kitts and St Maarten. Services between San Juan and Antigua will begin on 23 June. Caribbean Sun president and chief executive Yolanda Suarez says the regional now operates four Dash 8s, but has no near-term plans to increase its fleet.
US Airways has been rapidly expanding its services to the Caribbean and Latin America. Last year it signed a marketing agreement with Caribbean Sun's Antigua-based sister, Caribbean Star. However, Category 2 restrictions imposed on the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) - of which Antigua is a member - by the US Federal Aviation Administration under its International Aviation Safety Assessment programme prohibit Caribbean Star from flying to the USA, and limit US Airways' ability to forge a full-fledged codeshare with the regional.
US Airways' GoCaribbean network also includes a codeshare agreement with Dutch Antilles carrier and Caribbean Sun partner Winair, which flies from St Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles to Antigua, St Kitts & Nevis, St Barthelemy, Anguilla, Saba and St Eustatius.
Source: Flight International
