Tropic Air Adds New Caravan to Its Fleet

Tropic Air has just expanded its caravan fleet with a brand-new aircraft. This week, the airline unveiled its fifteenth caravan, promising a consistent passenger experience no matter when or where you fly with them. Tropic’s owner and C.E.O., Max Greif, shared with News Five that as Belize’s largest airline, they take great pride in their service, even flying to less profitable destinations. Max took over the company from his father, John Greif III, and his business partner, Steve Schulte. Now, he’s implementing upgrades to ensure Tropic Air remains top-notch for the next thirty years. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

This brand-new V3-HJA single-engine caravan is now the latest aircraft in Belize. Tropic Air introduced this new addition to its fleet this week. Max Greif, the owner of Tropic Air, says this acquisition is part of a broader effort to make flying more reliable and enjoyable for passengers.

 

Max Greif, Owner/C.E.O., Tropic Air

“Our focus really for the past two years has been growth focusing on our core. What do we do well and making sure that we do more of it? And so we made the decision last year to become an all caravan fleet. Every time you fly Tropic, it’s on a grand caravan with air conditioning, with I.F.R. rating, which is instrument flight rating which allows our pilots to fly through weather. It allows us to anticipate difficult weather anomalies that could pop up, and at the end of the day, our value differentiator from our competitor is providing a premium experience. We’re the only airline in the country and really in the region that offers an all I.F.R. rated fleet, all caravan fleet, and all of our aircraft to have air conditioning.”

 

Greif purchased the company from his father, John Greif the Third, and his business partner, Steve Schulte, two years ago when COVID crippled the country’s economy and had a devastating effect on Tropic Air. Moving forward, Greif said that in the post-pandemic era, there is great potential for growth.

 

Max Greif

“There was a big jump after COVID, but we believe that there’s sustained level of growth for us to maintain. And really we saw the need for a 15th caravan. A lot of it comes from the fact that we have a very supportive government. All the work that’s been done by the Ministry of Tourism, as well as the prime ministers, the Ministry Minister of Civil Aviation. We see that we have a government that’s very supportive of growth and also ensuring that Belizean companies are protected. And so to the extent that that environment remains, we’re going to continue to acquire new aircraft. We’re expanding our cortisol terminal. We’re looking to break ground in Placencia. We have several aircraft that we expect to bring online next year.”

 

To keep their service top-notch across the country, Greif mentioned that Tropic Air even flies to less profitable areas. He highlighted how much the airline industry depends on tourism. In today’s world, where security is crucial for travel safety, Greif emphasized that Tropic Air prioritizes this aspect as well.

 

Max Greif

“We have four dedicated employees that are just for safety. We have an SMS program, a safety management system program. That is solely dedicated on ensuring that we provide the safest possible operations. Um, that recognizes our security apparatus. And it’s this healthy balance of ensuring that we provide the best possible experience, the best possible service, while maintaining a sense of safety and security. And we take the approach that the security level has to be commensurate with the threat. We have a zero tolerance policy of whether it’s through our cargo system, or whether it’s through any packages that are being carried by a passenger, and also we regularly have police inspections of our aircraft.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.