Surinam Airways
Suriname · SURINAM · Active
Airline Identity
History
Surinam Airways was founded in 1953 as a private venture (the Kappel-Van Eyck Aviation Company) and began domestic flights in 1955 with two Cessna 170 aircraft from Paramaribo. The Surinamese government purchased the airline in 1962, renaming it Surinam Airways, and it became the national flag carrier upon Suriname's independence from the Netherlands in 1975, gradually building up regional Caribbean and long-haul routes to the Netherlands.
Current Operations
Surinam Airways remains wholly owned by the Government of Suriname and operates from its Paramaribo (Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport) base with a small fleet, including Boeing 737-800s for regional Caribbean service and a leased Airbus A340 for its long-haul route to Amsterdam. The carrier has faced sustained financial difficulty, including a government-backed recovery plan announced in 2022 and being placed on the European Union's list of banned airlines in June 2025, and it holds no membership in any of the three major global alliances.
Last verified 2026-09-03· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.