The history of Caribbean Airlines dates back to the mid-1940s when the first commercial air service in the Caribbean was launched by the Caribbean Aviation Corporation Ltd. The company was registered in Jamaica in 1943 and began operations in 1945 with a fleet of three Douglas DC-3 aircraft. It flew between Jamaica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
The Caribbean Aviation Corporation Ltd. was then succeeded by the Caribbean Air Transport Corporation (CATC), which began operations in 1948. This airline was based in Trinidad and Tobago and flew to destinations in the Caribbean, South America, and the United States. The CATC was then taken over by the British West Indian Airways (BWIA) in 1956, which was then taken over by the government of Trinidad and Tobago in 1958.
In 2006, Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) was formed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Its first flight was on the 19th of July 2006 and the airline has since become one of the leading airlines in the Caribbean. The airline currently serves 37 destinations in the Caribbean, North America, Central America, and South America.
The airline operates a fleet of 34 aircraft including the Boeing 737-800, Airbus A320-200, and Bombardier Dash 8 Q400. The airline has also recently purchased five Embraer E190 aircraft as part of its fleet expansion plan.
The airline has had some major milestones in its history. In 2008, it was the first Caribbean airline to offer online booking and check-in. In 2011, the airline launched its frequent flyer program, Caribbean Miles. In 2012, the airline launched its first international destination, Caracas, Venezuela. In 2015, the airline launched its first flight to New York, USA. In 2017, the airline launched its inaugural flight to Orlando, Florida. And in 2018, the airline became the first Caribbean airline to offer non-stop flights between the Caribbean and London, England.
The airline has also had some incidents involving air crashes and federal investigations. In 2010, one of its aircraft crashed near a Puerto Rican airport. This resulted in the death of one of the crew members and several passengers were injured. The aircraft was later found to have been overloaded with cargo. In 2011, the airline was the subject of a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation for alleged violations of consumer protection laws. The investigation was later closed without any enforcement action taken against the airline.
Overall, Caribbean Airlines has come a long way since its inception in 2006 and is now one of the leading airlines in the Caribbean. It has grown from a small regional airline to a major international airline that serves a wide range of destinations in the Caribbean, North America, Central America, and South America. The airline has also been able to maintain a good safety record despite some incidents.
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