Gum Air
| ||||
| Founded | 1972 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating bases | Zorg en Hoop Airport | |||
| Fleet size | 12 | |||
| Headquarters | Paramaribo, Suriname | |||
| Key people | Gummels (MD) | |||
| Website | Gum Air | |||
Gum Air N.V. is a family owned company located at Zorg en Hoop Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname. The airline has been in business for 40 years and owns a vast experience in bush flying, operating to every single airfield in Suriname. Gum Air serves mostly tour operators, mining businesses, local villages, medical cases and government support flights. The Gummels family is a highly respected family of aviators and farmers within the country. They are not only involved at Gum Air, but also at the Surinam Sky Farmers agriculture crop-dusting company of Wageningen, Nickerie. Gum Air has a cooperation with Trans Guyana Airways to provide regular scheduled flights between Paramaribo (Suriname) and Georgetown (Guyana). The carriers operate 6 days a week between Zorg en Hoop Airport (SMZO) and Ogle Airport (OGL). Customers experience flights of approximately one hour and fifteen minutes on this international service from these downtown City Airports.
History
 Gum Air Cessna 206 PZ-TBE |
 Gum Air Britten Norman BN2B-Islander PZ-TBL |
Gum Air was started 40 years ago by six brothers of the Gummels family who saw market opportunity in internal charter flights. When they realized that there was business in flights between Paramaribo and District Nickerie, they expanded their company “Sky Farmers” that had blended aviation and farming in the rice district. Sky Farmers purchased passenger aircraft and Gum Air was born. Today the company is the oldest and largest privately owned local airline. Gum Air has flown various unique types of STOL Short Take Off & Landing aircraft from Suriname in the past such as Dornier DO 28D-1 Skyservant, GAF Nomad, and also helicopter types such as Agusta-Bell 204B & Bell 206B Jet Ranger II
Fleet
Gum Air today owns a fleet of 11 aircraft plus a helicopter, consisting of 4 types of aircraft varying from 5 seats to 19 seats.
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna U206B/G Stationair 6/Super Skywagon | 4 | 1 pilot plus 5 passengers | |
| Cessna 208B Grand Caravan | 4 | 1-2 pilots plus 8-9 passengers | |
| Pilatus Britten Norman BN-2B-20 Islander | 1 | 1-2 pilots plus 8-9 passengers | |
| De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter | 2 | 2 pilots plus 19 passengers | |
| Robinson R44 Raven I | 1 | 1-pilot plus 3 passengers | |
| Total | 12 | ||
Accidents and incidents
Unfortunately Gum Air had a few mishaps with crashes over the years in the Suriname interior.
- On 10 February 2001 Gum Air’s GAF Nomad N24A, registered PZ-TBP was written-off when it crashed on a flight from Paramaribo – Zanderij Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM/SMJP) to Njoeng Jacob Kondre Airstrip (IATA: SMJK). The Nomad plane had fallen out of radio contact, and personnel at the airstrip in Jacob Kondre said it was flying low and crashed into a mountain. All 9 passengers plus the pilot perished.[1]
- On 21 August 2008 a Gum Air's Cessna 206 Stationair 6 ran off the airstrip at Poesoegroenoe Airstrip (ICAO: SMPG) during take-off when engine failure occurred. Luckily of the 6 people on board everyone survived, with only two people minorly injured.[2]
- On 22 November 2008 Gum Air’s Cessna 404 Titan, registered PZ-TVC made a forced landing on the road near Gusterie, Suriname, after engine failures. The aircraft came to rest in the bushes and was reported destroyed. No injuries or fatalities occurred in this mishap.[3]