Prinair
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Ponce , Puerto Rico |
Area served | Caribbean, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic |
Key people | Jaime S. Carrión (President in 1972), Cesar Toledo (President in 1979), Juan C. Hernandez (President in 2014) |
| Products | Passenger and cargo air transport services |
Number of employees | 600 (at its height (circa 1970s-1980s)) |
Prinair is a charter airline based in Puerto Rico that functioned as the island's domestic and international flag carrier from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. Established in 1964 under the name Aerolíneas de Ponce, it commenced operations in 1966. Although the airline halted scheduled commercial flights on two occasions, it resumed services in 2019.[1][2]
Operating out of its headquarters in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Prinair managed a fleet of 39 aircraft, servicing important routes such as San Juan, Aguadilla, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and various Caribbean destinations including Antigua and Santo Domingo. Its main operational hubs have been Mercedita Airport in Ponce and Rafael Hernandez Airport located in Aguadilla.
Among its notable leadership were Jaime S. Carrión (President in 1972), Cesar Toledo (President in 1979), and Juan C. Hernandez (President in 2014). At its height, the company employed close to 600 personnel and concentrated on broadening regional air connectivity throughout the Caribbean.
Prinair’s strategic focus on both local and international flight routes established it as a prominent entity within Puerto Rico’s aviation industry for approximately twenty years before suspending operations in the mid-1980s and again in 2010. The airline’s revival in 2019 sought to leverage growing interest in regional air travel and charter services.
History
Operations began in 1966 under the original name Aerolíneas de Ponce, utilizing Aero Commander aircraft to connect Mercedita Airport in Ponce with Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (then known as Isla Verde International Airport) in San Juan. The following year, the airline adopted the name Prinair (short for Puerto Rico International Airlines).
In subsequent years, Prinair flew de Havilland Heron piston-powered planes which were modified by installing 300 hp Continental IO-520 engines to improve their capabilities. Eventually, the fleet expanded to include more than 20 Herons, reportedly making it the largest Heron operator worldwide. During the 1970s, the airline extended its cargo operations to Opa-locka, near Miami, while passenger services reached destinations such as Santo Domingo, the Virgin Islands, Martinique, Barbados, alongside domestic stops like Vieques and Mayagüez.
In 1978, Puerto Rican politician Nicolas Nogueras petitioned for a writ of certiorari against Prinair before the United States Supreme Court, which was ultimately declined.
By the early 1980s, Prinair incorporated larger Convair 580 turboprops to enhance profitability on routes serving the Virgin Islands. Nevertheless, heightened rivalry from carriers such as Aero Virgin Islands and Oceanair, combined with residual public apprehension following fatal accidents, compelled Prinair to discontinue operations in 1985. The airline had intended to be among the first operators of the CASA CN-235, even applying its livery to a prototype in 1983; however, it never took delivery of this model. Prinair did operate earlier CASA-produced turboprops including the C-212 Aviocar.
The airline restarted flights in 2007 using Piper Chieftain propeller aircraft but ceased again by 2010. In 2019, its subsidiary Prinairtours declared plans to revive operations as a charter carrier, initially offering service between Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
Incidents and accidents
Throughout its years of operation, Prinair was involved in three fatal crashes and two hijacking events that did not result in fatalities.
On March 5, 1969, Prinair Flight 277 took off from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands en route to San Juan. Seventeen minutes into the flight, the crew established contact with San Juan Approach Control. The controller, who was a trainee at the time, indicated radar contact near Isla Verde; however, the aircraft was actually positioned close to the Fajardo waypoint. Approximately six minutes later, the plane impacted the Sierra de Luquillo mountains at an altitude near 2,400 feet, causing the deaths of all 19 passengers and crew. The investigation concluded that the accident resulted from an error made by Air Traffic Control.
On June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191 crashed following a go-around maneuver shortly after landing at Mercedita Airport in Ponce. The accident claimed five lives out of the 20 individuals on board, including both pilots. Initially, it was thought that the go-around was initiated due to a vehicle present on the runway; however, a subsequent inquiry reopened three years later found no proof of such an obstruction and left the reason for the go-around undetermined.
On July 24, 1979, Prinair Flight 610 crashed soon after departing from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in eight fatalities. The investigation revealed that the aircraft had been overloaded by 1,060 pounds and that its center of gravity exceeded the maximum permissible rear limit by eight inches.
Destinations in 1981
By February 1, 1981, Prinair provided scheduled passenger flights throughout the Caribbean region utilizing Convair 580 turboprop and de Havilland Heron piston-engine aircraft. The principal destinations served included:
- Antigua, West Indies
- Guadeloupe, Caribbean
- Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
- Ponce, Puerto Rico – Airline headquarters
- St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
- St. Kitts, West Indies
- St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- San Juan, Puerto Rico – Hub
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Historical fleet
- 28 – de Havilland Heron
- 4 – Convair CV-580
- 7 – CASA C-212 Aviocar
During its second period of operation from 2007 to 2010, Prinair flew with Piper Chieftain aircraft.
In popular culture
A Prinair-operated Beechcraft King Air is featured in the 2022 movie The Lost City.