Hummingbird Air resumes flights to Dominica

Hummingbird Air 306 x 250St. Croix-based Hummingbird Air will be reintroducing its passenger and cargo flights between the US Virgin Islands and Dominica starting Tuesday May 3rd. The airline plans to offer service four days a week into the Douglas Charles (formerly Melville Hall) Airport.

In addition to its normal passenger service, Hummingbird Air transports cargo and the speedy delivery of online shopping through its “ShopNet” service. The airline plans to improve customer service to its Roseau based cargo and “ShopNet” customers by clearing their goods and distributing them at their new office at 11 Great George Street, Roseau. The airline’s resumption of service is timed to coincide with the busy summer travel season.

Hummingbird Air, which started providing air transport service in 2014 in the region was a commercial success. However, the airline voluntarily suspended its passenger service last November after a landing incident in St. Lucia. The St. Lucia incident and an earlier Barbuda incident were both attributed to pilot error. The airline took the past six months to implement corrective action to improve safety, which included changes of key management personnel and pilot retraining.

The company’s new Director of Operations is Mr. Lloyd Prince, a former US Navy pilot and AirTran Captain with a background in aviation safety. He is originally from St. Croix. “I am really excited to bring my background and training back to the Caribbean” said Captain Prince. “I have wanted to come back to the Caribbean for some time. I am glad for the opportunity to lead a young company and to help improve air transportation in our region”.

Persons can obtain additional information on Hummingbird Air by calling (767) 449-2102

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22 Comments

  1. May 2, 2016

    I am not saying anything bad but you cant go in a airport with big planes there and expect people not to go on the big planes .because is a small airline not many people will abord the plane but at the canefield airport a lot of people will go on the plane and the distance from roseau to canefield is closer.

    thank you for your time.

  2. Islander in Texas
    May 1, 2016

    Francisco, it’s a wonder you don’t hurt yourself getting out of bed in the morning. You are the most negative person ever – and self-centered to boot.

  3. Birdlady
    April 29, 2016

    Oh waw….great news. Hummingbird is back at an ideal time when getting out of Dca is soo difficult. Pity Hummingbird does not do more destinations.

  4. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    April 29, 2016

    Something is very strange here: I thought Humming Bird Airline originated in Dominica, and was owned and operated by Dominica born Sam Raphael, all of a sudden I am reading “Humming Bird” is based in St. Croix!

    What happen, can somebody explain that?

    If it originated in Dominica, and have to base somewhere else, that tells me something is wrong. I can safely say I doubt it is economics, rather there is no one in Dominica with aircrafts maintenance skills, to carry out schedule maintenance. After certain amount of flying time certain parts has to be removed and replaced, among other things, that technical skill is not in Dominica!

    Either that or the Dominica curse has taken effect on that business!

    God help us! This is the third such business I know got started in Dominica, which has disappeared into oblivion!

  5. tj
    April 28, 2016

    Congratulations ! By the way I am happy that you will be using Douglas/Charles

    • Tjebe Fort
      April 29, 2016

      Who is Douglas Charles again?

  6. Kulong
    April 28, 2016

    Good news…help spread the word folks…we must support in every possible way. Nuff respect Sam. :wink:

  7. Satisfied Customer
    April 28, 2016

    Finally!!!!! Hummingbird air really set the standard for other cargo airlines here in D/ca. I have been a customer of Hummingbird Air and Shop Net for quite some time now and I must say I have never been disappointed. Their customer service is out of Dominica’s normal realm of customer service and I believe all other customer centric businesses on island should follow suit. All my online orders were always on time and their rates are much lower than their competitors. I know because I used all of them in the past. But currently I only use Hummingbird Air and Shop Net because I receive better and quicker service for a lower cost. I would advise everyone to try Hummingbird Air/Shop Net. You won’t be disappointed.

  8. Malatete
    April 28, 2016

    Good luck Sam! Pity you are not operating in/out of DCF but I guess the runway at Melville Hall is wider for your pilots not to run of the hard paving and damage their legs!
    Sorry but DOM to me remains Melville Hall – I don’t want to provoke the spirits of Pierro and Roosie.

    PS. Any chance of direct flights to & from Barbados?

  9. Positive Dominican
    April 28, 2016

    Great job, Mr Raphael I feel great to hear your achievement congrats. :) I am a shop net customer and I am so very excited. Great Service. I also travel from Dominica to St Thomas and it was great! Thank you and God Bless this airline!!

  10. April 28, 2016

    The advert says Canefield and the article says Douglas Charles…… really hope there will still be flights from Canefield.

    • Dominican
      April 28, 2016

      Tina, that is because nobody knows anything about Douglas Charles, they keep asking “who is, or was this fellow Douglas Charles”. Douglas Charles is a non-entity, a political gammick.

    • May 2, 2016

      dont worry they will still have flights winair is ther

  11. April 28, 2016

    Congratulations to Sam Raphael and company. This is the best transportation news of the month. I look forward to seeing their full schedule resume and expand, including flights to Canefield.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      April 29, 2016

      Steve how on earth can that be good news?

      Sam is a Dominica, his thing originates in Dominica, and now you are reading it is based in St. Croix, can’t you see something is wrong?

      Dominica will collect a mediocre landing and takeoff fee, and maybe two porters will have a job offloading some suitcases.

      If it was based in Dominica it could create employment for lots of people from time to time as the business grow. Hangers would have to be built, for technical hydraulics and engine maintenance; a crew would have to be employed to carry such mandatory maintenance.

      In the interim a crew would have to be recruited until there are properly trained Dominica aircrafts mechanic to carry out such high technical repair work!

      Steve, with such skills, and business like that stating small is how the people of a country grow in technical skills, and real progress begins in a country!

      • April 29, 2016

        Anything that improves the transportation situation to Dominica is good news, and Hummingbird is doing that.

        As for where his business is located, you would have to ask him why. I know he needed a skilled Director of Operations and found one who was from St. Croix. But sure, I hope that he can do more from Dominica in the future.

      • vanessa
        April 29, 2016

        But the airline was never based in dominica. It is dominican own but was never based in dominica.

    • May 2, 2016

      dont worry winair is there

  12. Lost
    April 28, 2016

    All i can say is thank God for this airline. I love Hummingbird air. Keep up the great work.

  13. Annonymous Reader
    April 28, 2016

    This is great. I love this. More air access into Dominica is always a good thing.

  14. dee
    April 28, 2016

    See if we can get Da Govt to invest any millions in that one :roll:

  15. April 28, 2016

    If those incidents were accured in Dominica airport people would have put the blame towards our airport condition,We hope things are in good condition this time.

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