Caribbean Star Gains Rights for Broader Expansion Opportunities

Antigua-based Caribbean Star Airlines has been certified as a Category One airline under Antigua & Barbuda’s new civil aviation regulations, opening the way for broader expansion opportunities, according to Skip Barnette, president and CEO of Caribbean Star and its Florida-based sister carrier Caribbean Sun.

The move had been anticipated since last March when the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority was upgraded to Category One status by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessments program, established in August 1992, focuses on a country’s ability –not an individual carrier’s- to adhere to standards and practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

The ECCAA, which regulates the aviation industry in Organization of Eastern Caribbean States countries (including Antigua & Barbuda), was awarded Category One status by the Federal Aviation Administration in March, requiring OECS-based carriers, such as Caribbean Star, to be certified under the new guidelines to gain clearance to expand operations.

The recertification now allows the carrier to seek authorization from the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve U.S. destinations and to code share with U.S. carriers.