Belize Aviation News

Tropic Air Blue Hole Tour from Placencia Belize

As of November 13th, 2019, Tropic Air will commence regularly scheduled Blue Hole tour flights from Placencia. New flights will initially operate on Wednesdays and will take approximately one hour. This new addition complements the existing scheduled Blue Hole tours from Belize City Municipal, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro airports.

Placencia flights will depart at 11:00 am in an air-conditioned 11 passenger Cessna Caravan 208 aircraft, in an “air tour” layout. Being a certified tour operator all Tropic Air Blue Hole flights have a pilot that is also a tour guide. Special introductory pricing will be available shortly and tours can be booked via local resorts, agents such as myself and Tropic Air.

“For some time we have been working with our customers in Placencia to find a way to make these flights happen”, said John E. Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “We have always offered Blue Hole charters from the South, but the time is now right to offer a scheduled flight for the growing tourism market in the peninsula. We know visitors to Placencia want the opportunity to experience Belize’s number one attraction, the way it should be seen, from the air, and we will deliver.”

Tropic Air Purchases a Beech 1900D Aircraft

In order to improve its quality and quantity of service, Tropic Air has acquired a twin-engine, 19 passenger, Beech 1900D aircraft costing almost $3million USD. The 1900D is a turboprop aircraft designed primarily for regional routes. It is known for its speed and passenger comfort and is the most popular 19 seat airliner ever built.

Delivery is scheduled for December with the first commercial flight scheduled for early in 2020. Initially, the aircraft will be placed on current international routes to Roatan, Flores, and Cancun. Flying time to those destinations will be significantly reduced.

“The 1900D is a fantastic aircraft. It is fast, pressurized, roomy, and has a stand-up cabin,” said John Greif III. “This is a significant investment for Tropic Air, and we are excited to be the first in Belize to fly it. We also hope to buy more.”

“Adding a new aircraft type with new capabilities also means opportunities to look at new regional markets to add to our network, and we intend to do that. The 1900D brings cities such as Guatemala City and San Pedro Sula within a comfortable flying time for our passengers,” said Steve Schulte, CEO. “This investment underscores our commitment to Belize, and to our confidence in tourism.”

About Tropic Air Belize

With almost 40 years of service, Tropic Air currently flies over 200 daily scheduled flights with 20 aircraft to 15 destinations in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Tropic Air now employs over 360 team members and will carry over 300,000 passengers and 425,000 items of freight system-wide this year. It has two additional aircraft on order.

Tropic Air recently successfully completed IATA’s Industry Standard Safety Audit for the third time since 2015 and is a member of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). Tropic also won the Traveler’s Choice Award in the Specialty and Leisure Category in Latin America in the 2019 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for Airlines.

I will leave you with a couple of pictures courtesy of Tropic Air Belize so you know what the new plane will look like. As you can see it will be great for group or family vacations. Imagine you and 18 of your friends on a scenic flight from Belize to Mexico, Guatemala or Honduras.