Surinam Airways (Dutch: Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij), also known by its initials SLM, is the flag carrier of Suriname, based in Paramaribo. It operates regional and long-haul scheduled passenger services. Its hub is at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (Zanderij). Surinam Airways is wholly owned by the Government of Suriname.
The airline was established in 1953 by private entrepreneurs Rudi Kappel and Herman van Eyck as the Kappel-Van Eyck Aviation Company (Dutch: Luchtvaartbedrijf Kappel-Van Eyck),: 18 aimed at operating feeder flights from a domestic network. Scheduled operations started with two Cessna 170B in January 1955 with domestic flights between Paramaribo and Moengo.
On 30 August 1962, the company was purchased from Herman van Eyck by the Surinamese government and renamed Surinam Airways or in Dutch SLM – Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij. The logo of Surinam Airways depicts a 'Sabaku', which is a Surinamese word for cattle egret.
From 1964 Surinam Airways started scheduled international operations to Curaçao together with ALM Antillean Airlines.
Upon the country's independence in November 1975 (1975-11), the carrier was appointed as the national airline of the Republic of Suriname, and it also started services to Amsterdam using a Douglas DC-8-63 (registration: PH-DEM) that was leased from KLM.
At March 1980 (1980-03), the carrier had 400 employees. At this time, the fleet consisted of a Douglas DC-8-63, a Douglas DC-8-50F and three Twin Otters. It operated international routes to Amsterdam, Belem, Curacao, Georgetown, Manaus, Miami and Panama City, and domestic services to Apoera, Avanavero, Bakhuys, Djoemoe, Ladouanie, Moengo and Nieuw Nickerie.
From 1955 til 2005 Surinam Airways operated an extensive domestic network.
In 1983 the regional routes were flown with a Boeing 737-200 leased from Maersk Air, named 'Tjon Tjon'.
On 7 June 1989, a Douglas DC-8-62 crashed on approach to Zanderij Airport, killing 175 occupants on board.
At March 2000[update], the airline had 543 employees.
From August 2004 till the end of 2009 Surinam Airways operated a Boeing 747-300 (PZ-TCM, named 'Ronald Elwin Kappel'), which was purchased from KLM. It was replaced with a 317-seater Airbus A340-300.
In early 2009, Surinam Airways ordered two Boeing 737-300s to replace its McDonnell Douglas MD-82s.
A Boeing 737-700 (PZ-TCS, named 'District of Saramacca') was leased from DAE Capital and arrived on 30 April 2018 in Suriname and became operational in may 2018, this plane was formerly flown by Air China. In December 2018 a second Boeing 737-700 (PZ-TCT, named 'District of Brokopondo') arrived, formerly flown by Aeromexico and leased from Air Castle.
From December 2019 a B777-200 was leased from Boeing Capital to replace the Airbus A340-300 previously used on the Paramaribo - Amsterdam route. The aircraft was registered PZ-TCU, named 'Bird Of The Green Paradise' and performed its first commercial ETOPS flight in December 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and possible high maintenance costs the B777 was returned in March 2021. It is now parked in Victorville.
At one time the company had its head office at Mr. Jagernath Lachmonstraat 136. As of June 2013[update], Surinam Airways was the owner of both the only terminal in Zanderij Airport and the only ground handling company in that airport.
Surinam Airways operates scheduled services to the following destinations, as of April 2019[update]. Terminated destinations are also listed.
As of July 2021[update], the Surinam Airways fleet comprises the following aircraft:
Surinam Airways operated the following aircraft throughout its history:
Media related to Surinam Airways at Wikimedia Commons
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