Seaborne Airlines (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) announced yesterday that it has reached agreement with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to relocate its corporate headquarters from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as part of a multi-faceted arrangement. Under the agreement, Puerto Rico will take an equity position in the airline and have two seats on the Board of Directors of the parent company of Seaborne, Coastal International Airways. Seaborne Airlines has committed to the creation of 400 jobs in Puerto Rico. 150 of the 400 positions will be added in Puerto Rico in the first quarter of 2014. This will bring total Seaborne employment in Puerto Rico to 250 people. The move is contemplated to be complete by March, 2014.
Seaborne will also add a number of routes important to Puerto Rico’s tourism and export growth. On December 12, the carrier started service from San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. On January 15, the carrier will add service from San Juan to St. Kitts and Nevis. On February 14, Seaborne plans to begin service from San Juan to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. On March 1, new service from San Juan to St. Maarten, Seaborne’s 16th airport will launch. These San Juan routes are being serviced by four additional SAAB 340B, 34-seat aircraft. Seaborne anticipates having a fleet of 16 SAAB 340Bs based in Puerto Rico.
There will be no change to the existing routes, or Seaplane operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is planned as a result of this agreement.
The agreement also calls for rebranding of Seaborne’s San Juan-based operations.
Copyright Photo: Seaborne Airlines.
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Filed under: Seaborne Airlines Tagged: Puerto Rico, San Juan, Seaborne Airlines
