Gum Air was founded in 1971 by six brothers of the Gummels family. The company they started in March 1964, was agriculture airspray company named Surinam Sky Farmers and Gum Air its offspring focused more on domestic flights and regional charters.[1] Whereas Surinam Sky Farmers has its base in the rice district of Nickerie at the Wageningen Airstrip together with Overeem Air Service maintaining Grumman Ag Cat aircraft, Gum Air has set up its domestic airline at the Zorg en Hoop Airport in the city.
Current operation
Gum Air has its base at Zorg en Hoop airfield in the capital city Paramaribo and now mainly flies with single engine Cessna airplanes and twin-engined de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.
Gum Air also owns dedicated Heliport, Gummels Heliport Paramaribo, built in Suriname at the Gummelsweg in the neighborhood of Kwatta near the city of Paramaribo, Suriname. Privately owned by the Gummels family the heliport is mainly used for helicopter charters and primarily for offshore development activities within the country.
Internationally Gum Air has an agreement with Trans Guyana Airways and together they provide regular scheduled flights between Zorg en Hoop Airport, Paramaribo (Suriname) and Ogle Airport of Georgetown (Guyana).[2]
In September 2021, Gum Air placed an order at Cessna for a new Cessna 408 SkyCourier to become the first operator in the Caribbean and Latin America for this new type of twin engine turboprop aircraft planned for delivery in 2023. Gum Air is currently constructing a new 3600-foot runway at its Gummels Heliport Paramaribo, and plans to utilize the SkyCourier for flights between Paramaribo, Georgetown, Port of Spain, and Cayenne. The new airport will mainly support the Oil & Gas, and Cargo sectors with charter flights.[3][4]
Gum Air De Havilland Twin Otter
Fleet
Gum Air today owns a fleet of eight aircraft plus three helicopters, consisting of four types of aircraft varying from five to 19 seats. One Cessna SkyCourier is on order for delivery in 2023.[5]
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 (ICAO: SMJK). The Nomad plane had lost radio contact. According to personnel at the airstrip in Jacob Kondre it was flying low and crashed into a mountain. All 9 passengers plus the pilot died.[8]
On 21 August 2008 a Gum Air's Cessna 207 Skywagon, PZ-TRR, ran off the airstrip at Poesoegroenoe Airstrip (ICAO: SMPG) during take-off when engine failure occurred. All 6 people on board survived, with only two slightly injured.[9]
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 accident.[10]
On 15 May 2017 Gum Air's Cessna 206 Stationair 6 registered PZ-TVU had a landing gear failure during loading at airstrip Kwamalasamutu (ICAO: SMSM). Airplane gear was later repaired and flown back to homebase Zorg en Hoop Airport[11][12]
On 28 July 2021 Gum Air's Cessna 206 Stationair 6 registered PZ-TBG crash landed near the former mining area of Paranam in Suriname. This accident occurred following a loss of engine power, four passengers and female pilot survived with minor injuries.[13][14][15][16]
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