The aircraft, which will be re-registered as PZ-TCW, is leased from the Dutch training and maintenance specialist V2 Aviation. After receiving Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the local regulator, Surinam Airways plans to deploy the aircraft in May on its transatlantic route Paramaribo - Amsterdam Schiphol route.
With a capacity of up to 32 business class and 225 economy class passengers, this aircraft is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing the airline's capacity and meeting the growing demand for air travel on the dedicated route.
Surinam Airways will lease the V2 Aviation's quadjet for a duration of just eight months. The aircraft will join the airline's fleet just before a wet-leased Airhub Airlines A330-200 is introduced to service on the same route.
Surinam Airways previously operated an Airbus A340 between 2009 and 2019. However, due to a debt to the lessor and the retirement of the plane in late 2019, the carrier replaced it with a B777-200ER. Unfortunately, the Boeing aircraft faced maintenance issues and a lack of ETOPS certification.
Surinam Airways' Boeing 777 was introduced into service towards the end of 2020 but was unfortunately grounded for maintenance after only a few weeks. The situation proved to be irreversible, and the aircraft was ultimately returned to the lessor.
Between June 2021 and the beginning of 2023, the airline suffered from a financial bottleneck and did not have any widebody aircraft available in its fleet. Currently, the carrier has been operating a solitary Boeing 737-800 jet since January 2023.
