Dutch Antilles Express
Dutch Antilles Express B.V. was an airline of the Dutch country of Curaçao. It operated high-frequency scheduled services in the Dutch Caribbean to United States, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Haiti, and Suriname. Its main base was at Curaçao International Airport.
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| Founded | 2005 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | April 30, 2005 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | September 19, 2013 | ||||||
| Hubs | Curaçao International Airport | ||||||
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| Fleet size | 8 | ||||||
| Destinations | 8 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Willemstad, Curaçao | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
Due to an escalating debt from poor market conditions, the government of Curaçao stepped in on May 31, 2011, to keep the airline in the air. The airline has been purchased from Arnold Leonora by the Curaçao government for a cash injection sum of two injections of 1.5m Guilders (approx US$838,000 each). The company slogan was Your Caribbean Wings.
In August 2013, the company's management and employees approached the Curacao government through various departments for a new loan of 5m Guilders (approx. US$2.8 million) to, among other items, pay employee salaries outstanding from July 2013. The appeal for the loan was denied by the Curacao Parliament on August 16, 2013. The Court of First Instance of Curaçao declared DAE bankrupt on August 30, 2013.