BWIA West Indies Airways

BWIA West Indies Airways Ltd.
IATA ICAO Call sign
BW BWA WEST INDIAN
Founded27 November 1939 (1939-11-27)
(as British West Indian Airlines)[1]
Commenced operations27 November 1940 (1940-11-27)[1]
Ceased operations31 December 2006 (2006-12-31)
(re-organized as Caribbean Airlines)
HubsPort of Spain
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer programBWEE Miles
SubsidiariesTobago Express (2001–2006)
Parent company50% ownership by private investors, 15% by employees, and 35% by the Trinidad and Tobago government[1]
HeadquartersTunapuna–Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago

BWIA West Indies Airways Limited, known locally as "Bee-Wee" and formerly as British West Indian Airways and BWIA International Airways,[2] was the flag carrier of Trinidad and Tobago. At the end of operations, BWIA was the largest airline operating out of the Caribbean, with direct service to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Its main hub was Piarco International Airport (POS), Piarco, with major hubs at Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) in Barbados and Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Guyana during 2006. It was headquartered in the BWIA Administration Building in Piarco, Tunapuna–Piarco on the island of Trinidad.[3] The company slogan was Sharing our warmth with the world.

The company announced on 8 September 2006 that the airline would be shut down on 31 December 2006. All of the approximately 1700 employees were separated from the company but applied for new contracts with a new entity, Caribbean Airlines.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook (3rd ed.). Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 0-9653993-8-9. Archived from the original on 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  2. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, British West Indian Airways system timetables from 1946 to 1968
  3. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 23, 1999. 66. Retrieved on September 30, 2009.
  4. ^ Trinidad Express: Bye Bye BWEE, Hello Caribbean Airlines