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BWIA West Indies Airways, called "Bwee" by locals, is the national airline of Trinidad and Tobago. It is one of the largest airlines operating out of the Caribbean, and boasts an enviable safety record among its peers.
1 History
British West Indian Airways began in 1939 using a Lockheed Lodestar twin on daily services between Trinidad and Barbados. By 1942 the airline had three aircraft of this type. In 1948 BWIA was sold to British South American Airways, but the name 'BWIA' was retained for operating routes among the Caribbean Islands using Vickers Viking twin piston types.
In 1949 BSAA merged with British Overseas Airways Corporation and BWIA became a subsidiary of BOAC. The route network was subsequently expanded and re-equipped. Vickers Viscounts were introduced in 1955 with Bristol Britannias leased in 1960Events January-February January 1 Independence of Cameroon January 9 Aswan High Dam construction begins in Egypt January 11 Chad declares its independence. January 14 Ralph Chubb, the gay poet and printer, dies at Fair Oak Cottage in Hampshire. January 23 to fly the long-haul route to LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri, via New York CitySkyline, with Statue of Liberty New York, New York" redirects here. For alternate meanings, see New York, New York (disambiguation). New York — officially named City of New York and often called New York City to distinguish it from the state of New York,. One year later the government of Trinidad and Tobago acquired most of the shares in the airline, and achieved complete ownership by 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio.
The jet age began in 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio with the introduction of Boeing 727The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet-liner in the world. The 727 first took the skies during the 1960s, much earlier than its bigger and more famous sister the Boeing 747. The 727 design arose as a compromise between United Airlis, which replaced the Viscount turboprops and on the New York route. The London route was re-started in 1975Events January January 1 Watergate scandal: John N. Mitchell, H. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up and are sentenced to 30 months to 8 years in jail on February 21 January 5 The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, i using Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Although it was not the first commercial jetliner in service (that distinction belongs to the De Havilland Comet), it was the first one to be commer jets. BWIA became BWIA International in 19801980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Events January-February January 1- April 1 National steel strike in United Kingdom January 1 Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession creates Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess over her younger brother January 5 He after a merger with Trinidad and Tobago Air Services, becoming the national airline. The same year also saw the Boeing 707s replaced on the London service with a new Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500s.
By 1994 the airline had become partially privatised. A substantial reorganisation of its route network left London and Frankfurt the only European destinations. The airline ordered Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft, then canceled the order in favor of Airbus A321 and Airbus A340 jets; in turn, this order was dropped after only two A321s were delivered. It was renationalised, then re-privatized, with the government of Trinidad and Tobago holding a 50% stake in the airline.
In the early 2000s BWIA changed its livery to a new colorful Caribbean green/blue color with its famous steelpan trademark, the national instrument of its home base. The fleet has been upgraded to seven Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, two Airbus A340-300s, and two Bombardier De Havilland Q300 Dash 8s used by BWIA's sister airline Tobago Express, which provides service to Trinidad's sister island Tobago.
As of 2003 BWIA was one of the leading Cariibean airlines, carrying over 1.4 million passengers a year with over 600 departures in the Caribbean and another 60 international departures every week. BWIA earns roughly US$276m per year, employs 2,350 staff, has 70 daily flights, and carries 8.1 million kilos (17, 857, 260 pounds) of air cargo per year. Its inflight magazine, Caribbean Beat, is well-regarded.
