The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

PINEAPPLE Airline executives said yesterday that the airline was looking expand its existing fleet with larger aircraft and resume service on several of its previous routes.

Pineapple Air owner Kennuth Carey told Tribune Business yesterday: “We are looking to go back to some routes that we had pulled out of originally. We had pulled out of Long Island and we had pulled out of Acklins and Crooked Island. We are trying to see if there is a way we can facilitate going back in those islands. We want to offer more convenience for persons looking to travel and remain efficient in our service.”

Pineapple Air, which was founded more than a decade ago, currently employs some 46 persons according to Mr Carey. The locally owned airline offers daily flights into Eleuthera and charter services. Speaking on the Eleuthera service Mr Carey said: “The loads on the Eleuthera service have been pretty good. We were very busy over the holiday weekend. We have had some rough years but we have seen some improvement over the past couple of months’ business. Business has been picking up.”

Mr Carey said that the airline was looking adding larger aircraft to its existing fleet. While declining to expand further on those plans Mr Carey said that he was hopeful that they could be undertaken in “short order”. Pineapple Air’s existing fleet consists of four 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D and 1900C aircraft. “With Acklins and Crooked Island for instance, it gives us a longer distance to travel in the type of aircraft that we have now so the whole plan is to upgrade the aircraft for people traveling that far.”

The airline, which boasts of being the “The sweetest way to fly”, announced a marketing initiative yesterday with Bahamian musician Avvy to revamp its brand and help widen its customer base.