Aviation History
Suriname's civil aviation began with the private Kappel-Van Eyck Aviation Company in 1953, which the government purchased in 1962 and renamed Surinam Airways (SLM). SLM became the country's designated flag carrier at independence from the Netherlands in 1975 and remains the state-owned national airline, though it has faced persistent financial difficulties in recent years.
Entrepreneurs Rudi Kappel and Herman van Eyck founded Suriname's first airline, the predecessor to Surinam Airways.
Scheduled flights started using Cessna 170Bs between Paramaribo and Moengo, Suriname's first regular passenger air service.
The Surinamese government acquired the carrier and renamed it Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij (Surinam Airways), still operating today.
Upon Suriname's independence from the Netherlands, SLM was designated the national flag carrier and launched service to Amsterdam.
A SLM DC-8 crashed near Zanderij Airport (now Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport) on approach, killing 175 of 187 occupants, one of the deadliest accidents in the country's history.
SLM was placed on the EU's list of airlines subject to operating restrictions, reflecting ongoing financial and regulatory challenges; this status is subject to change as the airline addresses compliance issues.
Surinam Airways (SLM) · Gum Air
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