Sky High Becomes The First Caribbean Embraer Jet Operator

Sky High Aviation Services is set to become the latest operator of the Embraer E190 after it took delivery of a used unit last week. The carrier is now the only Caribbean airline to operate aircraft from Embraer’s highly successful E-Jet family.

President at Sky High, Juan Chamizo Alonso, said,

“It’s a huge differentiator for us to be the only operator in the region with E-Jet capability, and a great way to celebrate our first 10 years of operations. The addition of the larger, more modern and capable E190 is the next step in our development and our offering to our customers. The E190 is the perfect aircraft to help manage demand in peak times, as well as to open and maintain the international routes essential for our continued development as a leading Caribbean operator.”

Let’s look at the aircraft and where Sky High plans on flying it.

First E190 delivered

The aircraft, registered as P4-KCK, was flown to Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in the Dominican Republic from Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon, Georgia, on May 28th. The plane was undergoing modifications at Embraer’s facilities in Georgia in preparation for the next phase in its life.

The delivery flight was operated on May 28th. Photo: GCMaps

Sky High Aviation has gone with a distinct two-class cabin configuration for the E190 with a total of 98 seats. 88 are in the economy class, while the remaining are in business class to provide Sky High’s passengers with an experience worth remembering.

According to data from ch-aviation, P4-KCK is nearly 8.50 years old and was initially delivered to Air Astana in February 2014. The airframe is worth a little over $13 million, and the current market lease rate is estimated to be around $135,000. Sky High is getting P4-KCK via TrueNoord, a regional aircraft leasing company based out of Amsterdam. It is worth noting that the Caribbean carrier is also expecting another E190 to join its fleet later this month, with commercial operations beginning a month after that.

TrueNoord’s CEO, Anne-Bart Tieleman, said,

“Sky High have worked hard to develop and grow a high-quality network in the Caribbean. We are proud to support them as they take the next step in their upward trajectory and commence operations with the much larger E190 aircraft. We see a lot of further opportunities for the type in this region.”

Potential destinations

Chances are, it will be a few weeks before Sky High begins using its first E190 for commercial operations. Still, there are exciting opportunities on the horizon for the small Caribbean carrier. The airline has already announced an ambitious expansion plan with flights to several airports in Venezuela from SDQ, where the new jet could come in handy during the peak travel season.

Sky High Aviation also operates a pair of Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. Photo: Getty Images

Another highly lucrative route for the E190 could be Santo Domingo-Miami. American tourists vacationing in the Caribbean could use Sky High’s comprehensive network of several island airports to their advantage and travel in style in the new business class cabin on the E190. The first leg of the journey can be completed on the new airliner, and passengers can connect to their final island destinations via Sky High's Embraer ERJ-145 fleet.