One of the two jets acquired by the government-subsidised BVI Airways started making flights between Haiti and Cuba last month, according to data on the aircraft tracking website FlightRadar24.
The data show that an Avro RJ100 with the registration number VP-LWW — which orginally was leased by BVI Airways to operate between the United States and the Virgin Islands — has been serving the cities of Port-au-Prince, Havana, Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba since at least April 27.
“Sunrise Airways has wet-leased an ARJ-100 from BVI Airways, analysis of Flightradar24 ADS-B data has revealed,” the website reported on May 2.
A retired United States Federal Aviation Administration official, who worked for the agency for more than 30 years, told the Beacon that it’s typical for airlines to lease their aircrafts to other operators.
However, BVI Airways officials did not respond to questions about the issue, including how long Sunrise Airways is leasing the jet and whether it’s Sunrise or BVIA staff who are operating the aircraft. Sunrise also did not respond to questions about the issue.
The apparent arrangement between the companies wouldn’t be the first time BVI Airways and Sunrise have partnered.
In February 2014, the airlines reportedly announced that they entered an agreement for Sunrise to offer “sub-service flights” between the VI, Dominica and St. Maarten — routes BVI Airways serviced around that time.
That agreement entailed Sunrise deploying one of its aircraft along the BVI Airways routes while BVI Airways refurbished its aircraft in the US, according to reports from the time.
“I’m confident our loyal passengers will enjoy the same comfortable and professional flight experience they’ve come to expect with BVI Airways as we move forward with Sunrise,” then-BVI Airways CEO Luke Smith said of the agreement with Sunrise, according to reports from the time.
Later that year, BVI Airways suspended its services altogether because its aircraft at the time didn’t have “costly additional equipment” — a flight data recorder — required by the United Kingdom regulator Air Safety Support International, according to documents the airline filed with the US Department of Transportation.
The airline hasn’t started direct flights to Miami, but reportedly hopes to begin them next month.
The agreement government signed with BVI Airways in January 2016 called for the airline to begin the direct flights last October in exchange for a $7 million subsidy, all of which has been paid.
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