Cayman Airways’ 3rd Max 8 arrives at ORIA

| 09/04/2021 | 38 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): The third Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft that Cayman Airways (CAL) leased before the ill-fated aircraft was grounded following two fatal crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 has arrived at Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA). CAL CEO Fabian Whorms confirmed that the airline had been able to take delivery of the aircraft after a favourable agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC), even though under the current limited schedule CAL does not need a third plane. Whorms explained that taking delivery of the plane this month put CAL in a good position with the manufacturer and the agent, while at the same time giving the national flag carrier the room it needs to prepare the new plane for service.

Just before Easter the plane made the 3,000 mile trip from the Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, with Captain Perry Panton and First Officer Dalkeith Whittaker at the controls.

CAL is not yet able to confirmed whether or not the current very limited schedule of repatriation flights will be extended in June, but once the borders open the airline is confident it will need all three of the new planes to be ready, after being grounded for more than two years in the wake of two fatal crashes of that type of aircraft.

Whorms was unable to detail the leasing agreements due to confidentially clauses but he said he was very comfortable with the situation.

According to a press release from the leasing company, Whorms said the airline “was fortunate and appreciative of having ALC as our aircraft lessor while we retire and replace our aging B737-300 aircraft”.

He added, “ALC was selected by Cayman Airways in 2016 after a competitive public tendering process and ALC has subsequently demonstrated a very strong commitment to working with Cayman Airways through the most difficult of industry challenges. Cayman Airways also has a historical relationship working with Mr Udvar-Hazy that spans more than three decades, and we look forward to continued excellent relations with ALC for many years to come.”

Steven Udvar-Házy is the executive chairman of the board at Air Lease Corporation.

Read Boeing’s statement: Recommendation for Potential Issue for Some 737 MAX Jets

Read CAL statement: CAL’s B737-8 fleet not affected by new Boeing recommendation


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Category: Business, Transport

Comments (38)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Id get on the Trilander before I get on that!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Why is it Cayman Airways says the 2 operational max 8’s are not subject to the electronic no fly problems but fail to mention this one?

  3. Anonymous says:

    I’ll be on one May 12. Can’t wait,

  4. Anonymous says:

    Was that a non-stop flight from Seattle?

    If so, let’s have some direct flights scheduled to Seattle and LAX if it will go that far, without needing to refuel.

    Both of these destinations have some appeal!

    • Anonymous says:

      most definitely! With the range of these aircraft Cayman Airways needs to look into more long range destinations.

      If we can get people to come here nonstop without having to connect through Miami, Charlotte etc. when we open up most people will not want to go through major airports to connect just because of the extra covid protocols.

      Living on the island we too would love some new destinations. I don’t know about anybody else but I am ready to travel.

    • Anonymous says:

      They were empty delivery flights though, one way..The range is dependent primarily on winds and weather conditions, profitability is dependant on the payload (Paying passengers and cargo).

      • Anonymous says:

        There is about 2600 nautical miles between Grand Cayman and Seattle. The B737-8 has the capacity to fly 3600 nautical miles depending on the load factor. They most likely would only be bringing passengers and luggage not cargo so conceptually I think it can be done but will leave that to the experts.

    • Anonymous says:

      Absolutely

    • Anonymous says:

      Need Vancouver – YVR at least seasonal or a charter for winter break

  5. Elvis says:

    Can we book a sear to just sit on it on the airstrip for an hour then get off and pretend we are in Miami to go shopping maybe?
    There is nowhere to go in the world to be honest in 2021

    • Anonymous says:

      “There is nowhere to go in the world to be honest in 2021“

      What a sad perspective. There are lots of vacations you could take that are safe…..extra safe if you do outdoor stuff and aren’t mingling in big/maskless crowds.

  6. Frequent Liar says:

    Does Whorms take us all for fools, no way can he use “confidentiality agreements” as an excuse for not publishing details of the leasing agreements funded by the taxpayer. Quite ironic that the man in charge of ALC is named “hazy”, CAL has been ripped off which is why the financing has been kept under wraps. We need to see some audited accounts to show where all our tens of millions of dollars of subsidies have gone.

  7. Anonymous says:

    I’d fly a brick before getting on one of those dodos.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Well done Mo$e$. Other than the Clifton School debacle has there ever been such an irresponsible wanton waste of public funds.

    Sure he will easily win re-election though. Such a shallow talent pool on the political front.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I’ll hop on a Cuban vessel before a max 8.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Great! Just in time for… nothing? Why are we leading planes in the middle of a pandemic and we don’t even know when our borders will reopen again? We’re basically paying for this to sit in the hangar and for the periodic maintenance required even though the plane is not flying.

    • Anonymous says:

      Because Moses locked us into another terrible secret deal. His lifetime portfolio of bad decisions costs us tens of millions every month. Imagine all the other things we could be doing with those resources.

    • Anonymous says:

      You do realize this plane was supposed to be here last year and was leased at least 3 or 4 years ago. I know it’s normal for some people here to walk out on leases but in the real world you can get sued for doing that. We should be grateful that the leasing company didn’t charge anything for it until they were safe to fly again..

  11. Anonymous says:

    Moses should be investigated for this clearly-stupid and one-way lease deal that the Cayman Islands couldn’t release itself from, even with a full-grounding of the type globally for years. How is this issue being swept under the rug? He should be disqualified for presiding over decades of misappropriated public trust and money. Everywhere you find a bad deal, or a prudence-defiling DOT giveaway, his name was usually on it. From multimillion dollar SpongeBob Squarepants fiasco, sports tourism debacles, Brac-Turtle Centers, to cruise lies, foreign funded misinformation campaigns, ORIA reno cost doublings, terrible aircraft lease deals…there he is. He is a bad idea machine. Vote wisely Brac.

    • SSM345 says:

      Imagine the “deal” with the cruise piers and where we would be if the “rascals” hadn’t stepped in….

      Every single project por capital expenditure this crew touches reeks of corruption, bad decision making, and the list goes on…

  12. Anonymous says:

    Before the hearty congratulations – more problems with the Jet that have come to light and which may prove to ground the fleet yet again.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/09/business/boeing-737-max-electrical-problem/index.html

    CNS: Check the CAL statement linked at the end of the article.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Put this hanger queen into quarantine with the rest.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Is this one of the latest mandated to be grounded not related to the first grounding?

  15. Anonymous says:

    Congratulations KX. Well done!

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