Tropic Airlines is happy to announce to its customers that all is set for its new aircraft, a 1900D Beechcraft to arrive sometime in November 2019. The 1900D is a pressurized, twin-engine, turboprop, fixed-wing airplane. According to Tropic Air, it is designed and primarily used as a regional airliner.
Earlier this year, Tropic Air’s President John Greif III and Steve Schulte traveled to Calgary, Canada to inspect the airplane and company before purchasing the 1900D Beechcraft. Tropic Air’s Executive Vice President John Greif IV stated that they are pleased with this major milestone for the airline. “We are investing in an aircraft that supersedes any in our current fleet. This new 1900D Beechcraft will add a whole new dimension to our fleet. This is a significant investment for the company, and it just goes to show the commitment Steve and my father have made for the future development and expansion of Tropic routes and their confidence that we need to move forward at a sizeable pace,” he said.
Tropic Air chose the Beechcraft 1900D to be the flagship for international routes because of its speed, roomy cabin and its maximum cruising altitude of 25,000 feet, which means that it can climb over most bad weather. The 1900D is approximately 110mph faster than the Cessna Caravan, Tropic Air’ previous flagship, and incorporates a walk-in cabin. Both features represent a marked enhancement in passenger comfort. The 1900D’s acquisition marks a significant investment and step up for Tropic in terms of capacity and is another indicator of their commitment to advance aviation in Belize. Tropic Air’s 1900D will be the first aircraft of its type owned and operated by a Belizean airline.
They will use the 1900D to service their Belize-Cancun-Belize route, as well as for Tropic’s routes to and from Roatan, Honduras, and Flores, Guatemala. The 1900D’s range will enable Tropic to open up new regional routes to better serve Belize and the region.
The 1900D’s specifications and systems will require that the company make additional investment in training for both pilots and maintenance personnel to meet the regulatory requirements. Pilots and maintenance staff commence formal, type-specific training in September.
Additional training for Ground, Dispatch and Operations staff will occur over the next couple of months to have all relevant staff ready to assist with the seamless incorporation of the 1900D into Tropic Air’s fleet.
With nearly 40 years of service, Tropic Air currently flies over 200 daily scheduled flights with 20 aircraft to 15 destinations in Belize, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Tropic Air now employs over 360 team members and will carry over 300,000 passengers and 425,000 items of freight system-wide this year. It has two additional aircraft on order.
Tropic Air is a member of the Latin American Airlines Association (ALTA), and recently completed IATA’s Industry Standard Safety Audit for the third time, after joining the program in 2015. Tropic also won the Traveler’s Choice Award in the Specialty and Leisure Category in Latin America in the 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards for Airlines. For more information on Tropic Air, you can visit their website at https://www.tropicair.com/.
