Last night we told you that Maya Island Air is going regional. Starting
next month the airline will start daily flights to Cancun, San Pedro Sula, and
Guatemala City. It is big news from a small airline and today we found out more.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is one of the two brand new ATR 72 aircrafts that Maya Island Air has acquired
for its new regional routes.
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, CEO – Maya Island Air Regional
“We’re expanding our services into the region; Cancun Mexico,
San Pedro Sula Honduras and Guatemala City. We have one flight emanating from
Cancun through Belize to Guatemala in the morning, returning in the evening
and one from San Pedro Sula in the morning up through Belize and then returning
back in the evenings. So that makes two flights per day to Cancun.”
This is a model of the ATRs 72 airplane. It seats 68 persons and each one costs 
US$18 million.
Dr. Louis Zabaneh,
“We are using the ATR 72 which is a world reknowned aircraft for safety,
used all over the world. It is natural 72 seater, we have taken out one of the
rows to make it a 68 seater, giving more space and comfort. So that is the aircraft,
it will be initially for the first year we are bringing in foreign highly trained
people who will in turn be training our people to take over after approximately
a year.”
The new ATRs will be added to Maya’s existing fleet of 13 aircrafts,
that includes 8 Cessna caravans. The promotional rates for the flights to Cancun,
to Guatemala and to Honduras is US$199. So Maya says it will be not only cost
effective but it will also be time efficient.
Dr. Louis Zabaneh,
“We know that people on a daily basis, 20 to 25 people a day catch
the bus or drive a total of five hours from Chetumal to Cancun. Some of them
coming three hours from within Belize and we think this will make it very convenient
for them. But regionally what was amazing to us is that for example if you have
someone wanting to go from Roatan Honduras to Cancun, what they would have to
do amazingly is leave 7 in the morning, got to La Ceiba then go to San Pedro
Sula then catch another plane, go through San Salvador to Guatemala, arrive
there around 8:30 at night, have to get a hotel sleep over, catch a flight around
midday and get to Cancun around 2 or 3 in the evening. We will be able to do
that in less than three hours. So we’re besides being competitive with
pricing, we’re also going to offer convenient connections.
Throughout the region we’ve been hearing for the last ten years or
so this whole thing about the Mundo Maya. It never really fully materialized
because of the lack of connectivity. So for the first time now we in middle
Belize taking advantage of our geographic position will now be making the Mundo
Maya a reality by bringing people from various parts of the region to other
parts of the region very conveniently.”
The inaugural flight is July 8th. You will now be able to book tickets
online at MayaIslandAir.com.
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