Interview - Surinam Airways

FLYING ON TRUSTED WINGS

By Poppy Johnson

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Steven Gonesh, Vice President of Operations at Surinam Airways, about the airline’s growth and vision in times of crisis, and its goals for environmental sustainability.

Founded in 1953, Surinam Airways is Suriname’s flag-carrier airline, carrying its passengers to a variety of destinations including Aruba, Brazil, Curaçao, Georgetown Guyana, the Netherlands, and Miami, along with seasonal flights to Orlando, and with a goal in mind to further expand these routes in the near future. Operating from its base at the Johan Pengel International Airport, the airline has a reputation for innovative and efficient service, captured in its memorable tagline: “Flying on Trusted Wings”. The company operates two Boeing 737-700 and one B777, and is formed of over five hundred employees, working across the airline, its three business units focused on catering, ground-handling company, and cargo, as well as two hotels in the city of Paramaribo and the bordering city of Nickerie.

NEW CONNECTIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up a number of challenges, but the airline industry has felt the full force of its effects. “In this past year, we’ve seen an 55% reduction in our flight activity,” says Steven Gonesh, Vice President of Operations at Surinam Airways. “In passenger numbers, the impact has been even greater, with a reduction of 92%. Despite that, we’re remaining positive, and still plan to expand our operations to more destinations. When the situation presents itself, we’ll soon try to develop more of a hub station in our home base of Paramaribo. We are looking at areas in Brazil and the South American area for expansion and routes, and more activity also in the Caribbean. It’s important for us not only to carry passengers point-to-point, but to expand in a network with other parties.”

To cope in trying circumstances, the airline has shifted towards charter operations. “That itself is a move that has its difficulties,” explains Mr. Gonesh. “In the first instance, it’s not easy to get permission to execute charter flights. If you manage that, you then have to navigate the various re-

“WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE’RE BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THROUGHOUT OUR OPERATIONS, AND ACROSS OUR BUSINESS AS A WHOLE.“

strictions on passengers’ movement across a number of different countries, all of which are subject to rapid and unpredictable change. That said, the option to switch to charter flights is a vital opportunity, allowing us to stay afloat in these challenging times, and keeps us moving forward. By striking new connections, it ensures that the airline will be able to prosper once more in the future.”

ENVIRONMENT-FIRST

With its base located within the Amazon region, the environment is close to the airline’s heart. “Suriname is over 93% forest, so preservation is essential,” says Mr. Gonesh. “We need to ensure that we’re being environmentally friendly throughout our operations, and across our business as a whole. We’ve made that commitment, and we’re now taking action with plans to use more environmentally-friendly materials on-board our aircrafts, while also trying to be as light as possible in order to reduce carbon emissions. That includes looking at opportunities for a paperless cabin, and the removal of all single-use plastic from our operations. At the moment, we’re considering plans for the possibility of taxiing using one engine instead of two,

Multi-purpose port

The main aim is to optimally accommodate economic activities in support of the national economy.

Havenlaan Zuid 5, PO Box 2307 Paramaribo Suriname Tel: +597 404044 Fax: +597 403691 Email: smeport@havenbeheer.sr i in nf fo o@ @h ha av ve en nb be eh he ee er.r.s sr r

havenbeheer.com

in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It’s our hope that such measures will complement the use of a number of other advances technologies to initiate a new chapter in our journey towards environmental sustainability.”

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

As it looks to the future, Surinam Airways is taking the opportunity to revitalize its operations. “Around the world, there are countless airlines that unfortunately haven’t made it through the current crisis,” says Mr. Gonesh. “For us, we’re focused on staying afloat, and we’ve put all hands on deck to bridge this challenging period – but we’ll soon be looking towards growth. We receive some financial support from the Government of Suriname, and they are working with us more broadly to help the airline move forward. Within the organization, Mr. Paul de Haannew has been appointed as the new CEO. With that, along with after-effects of the COVID-19 crisis, we’re reassessing our internal procedures, adapting, and changing our way of doing business. We’re anticipating changes on the operational side, on the commercial side, on the marketing side, and on the personnel side of the business. We have to be very efficient, achieving more with fewer people, at lower costs, all while striving to meet the more rigorous environmental standards expected of the industry. All that is being encapsulated with Surinam Airways’s new vision for 2023, which we hope will signal a fresh perspective, and a new way forward for the company.”

“Moving forward, we see a bright future for Surinam Airways, but also for the country of Suriname as a whole,” says Mr. Gonesh. “Suriname has rich oil reserves and a burgeoning offshore oil industry. Building on that, the country is looking to expand its economic activity both within and beyond domestic borders. We’re expecting an increase in the numbers of people travelling to Surinam, and we’re preparing ourselves to be able to cope with that challenge. It’s a fantastic opportunity.” c