Today three new planes arrived in Belize just in time for the approaching long holiday weekend. Tropic Air Belize has welcomed three factory-new caravans to their fleet and plans to add another by the end of the year. It's huge investment, but one the company believes is necessary to keep advancing Belize's aviation industry. News Five's Britney Gordon has the story.
When it comes to air travel, safety is a top priority and ensuring planes are in good condition is a crucial part of that mission. Today, Tropic Air is embracing that commitment by welcoming three new planes to its fleet. CEO Max Greif explains how the thirty-five-million-dollar investment will benefit Belize's airspace.
"Today we're receiving three brand new aircraft, as you mentioned, and it's part of a total delivery of five aircraft. And last year we received one factory new aircraft. Today we received three. And before the end of the year we'll receive another. So in total, that's five factory new aircraft in a twelve month period. And as you said, that's a significant investment and for us it's thirty-five million. We see it again, not just as an investment in Tropic though it really is an investment in the country. We recognize that we have a responsibility to not just operate as a profitable business, but there are peoples. People whose businesses or jobs or education depend on what we do."
The arrival of the planes was welcomed by the ministries of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Prime Minister John Briceno shared his appreciation for the significant investment made by Tropic Air.
"They're investing thirty-five million and by the end, I think about even not this year, early next year, they'll invest another fifteen million that would make a total investment of fifty million. It's a man with vision and a man that's bold that would take on a debt of fifty million. And then he pointed out most small airlines or regional airlines, what do they do is they go and get secondhand planes and he's buying new planes as we call brand new planes. So we are very proud of Max and his team and we congratulate them."
With these new additions, Tropic Air now has eighteen planes in its fleet. Greif shares that they are necessary to keep their business at optimal perseverance.
"We had a fleet that needed to be aged out. We do see growth. 2024 was a great year for tropic as well as for the country. And so we're laying the foundation for the next three to five years. And so it's really an expectation that the growth we've seen over the past few years will continue for the next three to five years."
As Belize's aviation industry continues to grow, new routes and destinations are on the horizon. According to Briceno, there is hope for more airports in Belize.
"They're investing. We know that the airport in San Pedro, the runway is too small. And so what we have to do is to build a new one and we are looking up the northern part of San Pedro to build one with a longer runway. Then that will be able to accommodate bigger plane. These planes, they're efficient. But because of the volume now, you have, these planes are circling here till they could get a spot to land. So building bigger places, we could be able to move people more efficiently."
Tropic Air says the company is always on the lookout for both new domestic and new international markets, meaning Belizeans can remain on the lookout for their next exciting endeavor. Britney Gordon for News Five.