Caribbean Airlines’ First-Quarter Performance Paints Clear-Sky Picture

With four-plus months under its wings, the statistics from Caribbean Airlines (the former British West Indies Airways) might give several of the larger international carriers pause.

Since its launch on January 1, Caribbean Airlines’ lost baggage rate (bags lost per thousand) has been well below that of major carriers in the U.S. and Europe. As of March 31, the carrier’s lost baggage rates was 0.7 in January (less than one bag lost per thousand), 1 for February and 1.6 for March.

U.S. carriers lost an average of 8.23 bags per thousand in February, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation; the Association of European Airlines, meanwhile, reported an average of 16 bags lost per thousand in 2006.

On-time performance for Caribbean Airlines was 92 percent in January, 93.9 percent in February, 90.9 percent in March and 88.7 percent through mid-April.

Caribbean Airlines serves the Caribbean from its base in Trinidad. Its international gateways are New York, Miami, Toronto and London, with service to and from Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua, St. Maarten, Guyana and Suriname.