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{{Short description|Puerto Rican airline company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline          = Prinair
| image            = Prinair logo.png
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| IATA             = PQ<ref name="atdb">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aerotransport.org/|title=ATDB.aero aerotransport.org AeroTransport Data Bank|website=www.aerotransport.org}}</ref>
| ICAO             = PRU<ref>[http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/3-1-P.htm ''Chapter 3. ICAO AIRCRAFT COMPANY/TELEPHONY/THREE-LETTER DESIGNATOR AND U.S. SPECIAL TELEPHONY/CALL SIGNS: Section 1 AIRCRAFT COMPANY/TELEPHONY/THREE-LETTER DESIGNATOR ENCODE.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228050904/http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/3-1-P.htm |date=February 28, 2014 }} U.S. FAA. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref>
| callsign         = COLORBIRD<ref>[http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/3-1-P.htm ''Chapter 3. ICAO AIRCRAFT COMPANY/TELEPHONY/THREE-LETTER DESIGNATOR AND U.S. SPECIAL TELEPHONY/CALL SIGNS: Section 1 AIRCRAFT COMPANY/TELEPHONY/THREE-LETTER DESIGNATOR ENCODE.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228050904/http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/3-1-P.htm |date=February 28, 2014 }} U.S. FAA. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref>
| founded          = {{Start date and age|1964}},<br>as '''Aerolíneas de Ponce'''<br>(Ponce Airlines)<ref>[http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=operator&qstring=Ponce+Air&where=65754&luck= ''Profile for Ponce Air.''] ATDB aero. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref>
| commenced        = {{Start date and age|1966}},<br/>{{Start date and age|2007}},<br/>{{Start date and age|2019}}
| ceased           = {{End date and age|1985|06|01|df=y|br=y}},<ref>[http://www.airtimes.com/cgat/usc/prinair.htm ''Collector's Guide to Airline Timetables.''] Air Times. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref><ref name="auto">''Suspended todos los vuelos de Prinair.'' El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. P.14. 2 June 1985.</ref>{{clarify|date=January 2017|reason=The information box says Prinair ceased operations on 1 June 1985, but the text says that it ceased operations in 1984.}}<br/>{{End date and age|2010}}
| aoc              = 
| bases            = [[Mercedita Airport]]
| hubs             = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], [[Rafael Hernandez Airport|Aguadilla]] (2019)
| focus_cities     = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]
| fleet_size       = 39
| destinations     = [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]]<br>[[St. Croix]]<br>[[Mayaguez]]<br>[[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]<br>[[Aguadilla]]<br>[[Tortola]]<br>[[Antigua]]<br>[[St. Kitts]]<br>[[Sint Maarten|St. Maarten]]<br>[[Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic|Santo Domingo]]<br>[[Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic|Santiago, D.R.]]<br>[[Caicos Islands]]
| parent           = ''Aerolíneas de Ponce''
| headquarters     = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
| key_people       = Jaime S. Carrión, President (1972)<ref>[http://www.leagle.com/decision/19731012366FSupp646_1924&ei=uNoPU_eFOOGC1AH6t4DYBw&usg=AFQjCNFirW-dR7_-d3G9-eOK9uFtnxXIdg&sig2=kTh4ya6GwBr_tKeVrXTnSA ''PUERTO RICO INT. AIR., INC. v. INTERNATIONAL ASS'N OF M. & A. W. (PUERTO RICO INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES, INC., Plaintiff, v. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS et al., Defendants.)''] US. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Civ. No. 540-73. 366 F.Supp. 646 (1973). July 26, 1973. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref><br>Cesar Toledo, President (1979)<ref>{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20121004125206/http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR80-03.pdf ''Aircraft Accident Report: NTSB/AAR-80-03.'']}} Nat. Transp. Safety Brd. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref><br>Juan C Hernandez, President 2014 (actual)<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/eYWFE0Nih9Q Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140703191111/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYWFE0Nih9Q Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYWFE0Nih9Q|title=''Recordando a Prinair.''|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
| revenue          = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income       = 
| profit           = 
| assets           = 
| equity           = 
| num_employees    = 600<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160309080916/https://business.highbeam.com/26/article-1G1-3292463/prinair-recovering-yields-first-traffic-second-after ''Prinair recovering; yields first, traffic second; after 18 months of minor losses the large Puerto Rican airline moves back into the black; new aircraft allow aging Herons to be retired.''] J.A. Donoghue. Air Transport World. HiBeam Business. 1 June 1984. Retrieved 27 February 2014.</ref>
| website          =
}}
'''Prinair''' is a Puerto Rican charter operator airline.<ref>[https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airlines/prinair ''Prinar Airlines Profile.''] Center for Aviation (Aviation Week Network) 2019. Accessed 9 December 2019.</ref> It was [[Puerto Rico]]'s domestic and international [[flag carrier]] airline for almost two decades from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. Despite previously ceasing scheduled commercial operations twice, it restarted flights in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nadalet |first1=Ivan |title=Puerto Rico's Prinair resumes ops |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/76464-puerto-ricos-prinair-resumes-ops |access-date=25 November 2024 |publisher=ch-aviation GmbH |date=19 March 2019}}</ref>

== History ==
Service began in 1966 under the name '''Aerolíneas de Ponce''' (Ponce Airlines) with [[Aero Commander 500|Aero Commander]] aircraft.<ref>[http://www.prinair.org/History.html Prinair history page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004205518/http://www.prinair.org/History.html |date=October 4, 2011 }}</ref> The initial service flew from [[Mercedita Airport]] in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] to [[Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport]] (then known as ''Isla Verde International Airport'') in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]. The company's name was changed to Prinair the following year ('''P'''uerto '''R'''ico '''In'''ternational '''Air'''lines).<ref>[http://www.aerosite.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=1329 Aerosite.net Prinair page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref>
[[Image:DH.114 Heron Frtr N578PR Prinair OPA 24.03.87 edited-5.jpg|thumb|right|[[De Havilland Heron]] freighter of Prinair at [[Opa-locka Airport]] near Miami in 1987]]
The airline later used [[de Havilland Heron]] piston-engined aircraft for its services.  Prinair introduced their own version of the Heron by converting the aircraft to use 300&nbsp;hp Continental IO-520 engines in place of the original 250&nbsp;hp Gipsy Queen 30-2 engines.<ref>"The DH104 Dove and DH114 Heron" p.4, Air-Britain, 1973</ref>  The Prinair fleet which grew to over 20 aircraft was the largest Heron fleet in the world.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} During the 1970s, expansion saw the airline start cargo freighter services to [[Opa-locka, Florida|Opa-locka]] (a Florida location near Miami) as well as passenger service to [[Santo Domingo]], the [[Virgin Islands]] (U.S. and British), Martinique, Barbados, [[San Felipe de Puerto Plata|Puerto Plata]], and other Caribbean destinations, as well as [[Vieques, Puerto Rico|Vieques]], [[Mayagüez, Puerto Rico|Mayagüez]], [[Culebra, Puerto Rico|Culebra]] and [[Aguadilla, Puerto Rico|Aguadilla]] on the domestic side.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

During 1978, [[Nicolas Nogueras]], a Puerto Rican politician, sought a [[Certiorari|writ of certiorari]] against Prinair at the [[United States Supreme Court]]; he was denied.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/435/951/|title=NOGUERAS v. PUERTO RICO INTERN. AIRLINES, INC., 435 U.S. 951 (1978)|website=Justia Law}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Prinair introduced into service larger and more capable [[Convair CV-240|Convair 580]] turboprop aircraft. This provided the plane spotter at San Juan with another interesting aircraft type to look out for, but did little for the airline other than help increase the earnings from the Virgin Islands routes. Increased competition for these routes from [[Aero Virgin Islands]] and [[Oceanair]], in addition to a measure of distrust from the public that had not forgotten a number of fatal crashes, resulted in Prinair ceasing operations in 1985.<ref name="auto"/> It was the intention{{whose?|date=December 2019}} that Prinair would have been one of the launch customers of the [[CASA CN-235]] and at the roll-out of the new aircraft in September 1983 the prototype was actually painted in Prinair colors (right side only).{{confusing|section|date=December 2019}} However, the demise of Prinair prevented delivery.  The airline did operate an earlier CASA-manufactured aircraft, the [[C-212 Aviocar]] turboprop.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

In 2007, the airline resumed operations with [[Piper Chieftain]] propeller-driven aircraft;<ref>www,airliners.net, Photos of Prinair Piper Chieftain aircraft at San Juan (SJU)</ref> The airline again ceased all flights in 2010.

The company's Prinairtours announced that in 2019 Prinair would relaunch flights as a charter airline, starting with services between Aguadilla on Puerto Rico's northwest coast and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.<ref>[https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airlines/prinair ''Prinair Profile.''] Center for Aviation. 2019. Accessed 9 December 2019.</ref>

== Incidents and accidents ==
Prinair suffered three fatal accidents and two non-fatal [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacking]] incidents<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19701221-0 Aviation Safety Network December 21, 1970 Prinair hijacking incident page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19720416-0 Aviation Safety Network April 16, 1972 Prinair hijacking incident page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref> during its existence.

On '''March 5, 1969''' [[Prinair Flight 277]] departed [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands]] for a flight to San Juan. Seventeen minutes after take-off, the crew contacted San Juan Approach Control. The approach controller on duty (a trainee) replied; "Prinair Two Seven Seven, San Juan Approach Control, radar contact three miles east of Isla Verde...maintain four thousand." The aircraft was actually three miles east of the Fajardo waypoint instead of the Isla Verde waypoint (which is located about 10 miles west of the Fajardo waypoint). Six minutes later the aircraft crashed in the Sierra de Luquillo mountains at an elevation of about 2400 feet; all 19 occupants were killed. The accident investigation found that Air Traffic Control was to blame.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690305-0 Aviation Safety Network N563PR accident page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref>

On '''June 24, 1972''' [[Prinair Flight 191]] crashed after [[Go-around|going around]] just after touching down at Ponce's Mercedita Airport, killing five of the 20 occupants (including both pilots).<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19720624-0 Aviation Safety Network N554PR accident page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref> An accident investigation found that the go-around was prompted by a vehicle on the runway,<ref>[http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR72-34.pdf First NTSB Report on the crash of N554PR.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920193758/http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR72-34.pdf |date=September 20, 2006 }} Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref> but the investigation was re-opened three years after the accident due to evidence that there was no vehicle on the runway; the second investigation concluded that the go-around was for unknown reasons.<ref>[http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR75-17.pdf Second NTSB Report on the crash of N554PR.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920180252/http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR75-17.pdf |date=September 20, 2006 }} Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref>

Prinair Flight 610 crashed moments after taking off at [[Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands]] on July 24, 1979, with the loss of eight lives.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790724-1 Aviation Safety Network N575PR accident page.] Retrieved: August 13, 2008.</ref> An accident investigation found that the aircraft had been overloaded by 1,060 pounds and that the center of gravity (CG) was 8 inches beyond the maximum rear limit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR80-03.pdf|title=NTSB Report on the crash of N575PR.}}</ref>

== Destinations in 1981 ==
[[File:DH.114 Heron 2 mod N574PR Prinair 011273.jpg|thumb|A Prinair DH.114 Heron 2]]

According to the February 1, 1981 Prinair system timetable route map, the airline was operating scheduled passenger service to the following destinations in the Caribbean.<ref>http://www.timetableimages.com, Feb. 1, 1981 Prinair system timetable</ref>  All flights were operated with either [[Convair 580]] turboprop or [[de Havilland Heron]] prop aircraft at this time:

* [[Antigua]], [[West Indies]]
* [[Guadeloupe]], [[Caribbean]]
* [[Mayaguez, Puerto Rico]]
* [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]] - '''''Airline headquarters'''''
* [[St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands]]
* [[St. Kitts]], [[West Indies]]
* [[St. Maarten]], [[Netherlands Antilles]]
* [[St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands]]
* [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]] - '''''Hub'''''
* [[Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic]]
* [[Tortola, British Virgin Islands]]

== Historical fleet ==
* 28 – [[de Havilland Heron]] 
* 4 – [[Convair CV-580]] 
* 7 – [[CASA C-212 Aviocar]]

A second version of Prinair operated between 2007 and 2010 with [[Piper Chieftain]] aircraft.

== In popular culture ==
A Prinair [[Beechcraft King Air]] aircraft appears in the 2022 film [[The Lost City (2022 film)|The Lost City]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfKO9rYDmE8|title = The Lost City &#124; Official Trailer (2022 Movie) – Paramount Pictures|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of airlines of Puerto Rico]]
* [[Aeronaves de Puerto Rico]]
* [[Oceanair]]
* [[Puertorriquena de Aviacion]]
* [[Vieques Air Link|VAL]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Portal bar|Puerto Rico|Companies|Aviation}}

[[Category:Prinair| ]]
[[Category:Airlines of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1966]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 2007]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 2019]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1985]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2010]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Economic history of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:2010 disestablishments in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Companies based in Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:2019 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Companies based in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican brands]]