Tropic Ocean Airways, the Fort Lauderdale-based airline specializing in seaplane flights, is launching a major expansion in the Caribbean.

Tropic Ocean plans to establish a base of amphibious airplanes in Puerto Rico, the company’s CEO, Rob Ceravolo, said this week.

The airline’s new San Juan base will complement its existing bases in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, from which it operates a network of regularly-scheduled and charter services focused on The Bahamas.

The new flights will include private charters, scheduled flights, “dock to yacht” and cargo services.

That will include domestic flights to all Puerto Rico airports, along with service to Vieques and Culebra and the neighboring US and British Virgin Islands, among other destinations.

Charter flights will include destinations like the BVI, Necker Island, Antigua, St Maarten, St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla, the company said.

Flights will depart both from the Jet Aviation fixed-base operator at Luis Munoz Marin airport, along with the Bahia Urbana dock in Old San Juan.

Tropic Ocean’s fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft has seating for up to eight guests.

“Modern amphibious seaplane service has been proven to improve connectivity in hard-to-reach areas with less environmental impact,” Ceravolo said. “Our entire team of over 100 aviation professionals is committed to our investment in the Puerto Rico tourism and aviation industries, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to bring our luxury service to the island. We are excited to call Puerto Rico our second home and look forward to growing in the region.”

“At the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, we welcome Tropic Ocean Airways to the Island, as they begin the first stage of operations in Puerto Rico with an aircraft that will use San Juan as its base port, but will have the ability to take off and land anywhere on the Island, whether by sea or land,” said Carla Campos, Puerto Rico’s top local tourism official. “In addition to expanding our air access, the establishment of San Juan as the second base of operations for Tropic Ocean Airways strengthens the positioning of our Island as the connector of the Caribbean region and has the potential to increase passenger movement and creation of new jobs in the short and long term.”

In a region where airlift within the Caribbean continues to pose a big challenge, Tropic Ocean’s Caribbean entry could be a significant addition.

For more, visit Tropic Ocean Airways.

The post Tropic Ocean Airways Launching Big Caribbean Seaplane Expansion appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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After the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the beach-filled paradise of Barbuda is about to go green in a major way.

The United Arab Emirates is joining with the CARICOM Development Fund and other partners to build a resilient green power system for Barbuda.

The UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund will work with CDF, along with Antigua and Barbuda’s government and the government of New Zealand to restore power to the island.

“After the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda, we are not only trying to restore electricity to the island — we will work to rebuild it even better,” said Sultan Al Shami, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates. “Providing the island with a solar power plant will solve its energy crisis, provide clean, environmentally friendly energy, and improve the living conditions of islanders who will operate and maintain the new solar power plant to help reduce the impact of climate change.”

The agreement will see the disbursement of $5.7 million from the UAE to support Antigua and Barbuda through the largest renewable energy initiative of its kind in the Caribbean region.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda also invested $1 million through the CDF, and the Government of New Zealand donated $500,000 to aid in funding the project and building a hybrid solar-diesel power station equipped with hurricane-resilient battery storage. 

 “This project will be a core component of the efforts by our government to transform Barbuda into possibly the first truly climate-resilient community in our region and doing this within a sustainable energy framework,” said Robin Yearwood, Minister of Public Utilities, Civil Aviation, Transport and Energy for Antigua. “This will also serve as a model for other Caribbean small-island developing states.”

The project aims to build a modern, climate-resilient, safe, reliable and sustainable supply of electrical power for Barbuda in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which destroyed 95 percent of the island on Sept. 6, 2017, and forced all 1,800 residents to be evacuated to Antigua.

“As part of the second funding cycle of the UAE-CREF, this energy efficient and multi-faceted project on the island of Barbuda exemplifies the level of collaboration needed to ensure that renewable energy alternatives are spread far and wide to areas or states that can gain maximum benefit.,” said Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. “Caribbean island nations are rich in sustainable resources that are used to produce energy. ADFD is delighted to work alongside its distinguished partners to bring clean energy alternatives to the area and support the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in translating its national priorities into tangible realities.”

The plant will displace an estimated 260,000 liters of diesel fuel per year, saving the government of
Antigua and Barbuda $320,000 and offsetting 690 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. 

— CJ

The post How Barbuda Is Going Green appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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New inter-island service between the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands will launch next month. 

Turks and Caicos-based interCaribbean Airways, which has been steadily growing its footprint in the region, will be launching daily flights between Tortola and St Thomas on Nov. 14, the company announced. 

The move will be a particular boon for the BVI, meaning another connection to reach Tortola’s Beef Island International Airport. 

interCaribbean will be operating two daily flights between Tortola and St Thomas. 

The carrier will also be launching similar service between St Croix and Tortola, which will also begin Nov. 17. 

For more, visit interCaribbean Airways.

— CJ

The post Tortola-St Thomas Flights to Launch in November appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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New hotels, new villas, new dining hotspots. It may be the quietest time of year in the Caribbean, but the region is as hot as ever – and an October vacation in the Caribbean means you’ll often feel like you have the whole island to yourself. The latest edition of Places to Visit takes you from a new hotspot in The Bahamas to the delights of pure serenity on a small island in the Eastern Caribbean. 

Dominica The island of Dominica is about to get on the map in major way in the middle of this month (Oct. 14, to be exact), Kempinski debuts its highly-anticipated Cabrits Resort and Spa in the north of the island. The spectacular new 151-room luxury beach resort, the product of Range Developments (the company behind the celebrated Park Hyatt St Kitts), is a major addition to the island’s mostly boutique hotel product. And it will serve as yet another reminder for travelers to visit Dominica, which is the most naturally beautiful destination in all of the Caribbean. 

The post 5 Caribbean Vacations for October, From Dominica to The Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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