Seaflight (St. Thomas Cyril E. King) is keen to tender for seaplane services in the US Virgin Islands currently operated under an exclusive contract by Seaborne Airlines (BB, San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin), reports The Virgin Islands Consortium.
Seaflight owner and president Donald Lewis has told the newspaper the airline would be able to undercut Seaborne Airlines once its exclusivity ends in 2026, allowing consumers to benefit from greater access and competition in the market.
This follows recent statements by the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) that it intends to open up seaplane operations between St. Thomas SPB and St. Croix SPB when the deal with Seaborne Airlines expires. Parent Silver Airways (3M, Fort Lauderdale International) secured the contract when it bought Seaborne Airlines in 2018. Still, the agreement has been controversial, with lawmakers complaining about inadequate air access to the US Virgin Islands and a lack of competition resulting in high fares.
Lewis said his company had long been attempting to provide seaplane services. "We've been trying to operate at the [seaplane terminal] for the past 12 years. We've been blocked during that time."
Lewis said Seaflight operates 4x daily round trips between St. Thomas Cyril E. King and St. Croix Henry E. Rohlsen. The carrier operates one Cessna (single turboprop) 208 Caravan amphibian, N394SF (msn 20800394), registered under its legal name City Wings Inc, according to the FAA database.
