BermudAir weighs additional AOCs as it targets 20 aircraft by 2030
Why It MattersA carrier building a Caribbean network around uncontested nonstop routes to the US shows where regional point-to-point capacity is still being added, with sub-brands and extra certificates as the expansion tools.
BermudAir could add further air operator certificates (AOCs) as it expands its network, said John Pepper, the airline's chief commercial officer, at Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt. The Caribbean-focused carrier, which began operations in 2023, plans to reach double-digit fleet numbers in 2027 and 20 aircraft by 2030. Pepper described the growth profile over the next couple of years as "quite steep" and said about 70% of the airline's network currently consists of routes without existing nonstop competition.
BermudAir holds a Bermuda AOC. Because Bermuda is a UK Overseas Territory regulated by the UK Department for Transport, the airline has rights in line with a British AOC, including the ability to operate to the UK. Pepper said there are no formal plans for London flights, but the airline could fly there in summer and to other British overseas territories in the Caribbean, including Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. The airline also uses freedom rights under the US-UK Air Service Agreement for fifth-freedom flights from Bermuda via the US.
BermudAir intends to keep its name for now, though branding is under internal discussion as the network grows beyond Bermuda. Pepper did not expect separate brands such as 'AnguillaAir' or 'BelizeAir'. The airline launched AnguillAir last year, which remains a seasonal sub-brand covering flights between the US Northeast and Anguilla only.
Fleet growth will be supported by the Airbus A220: the airline has an order for 10 A220-300 aircraft and currently operates Embraer E190s. Pepper said it expects eight aircraft by the end of this year and 11 in 2027. Potential expansion markets include the eastern and western Caribbean, the Bahamas and the southern Caribbean islands. Rather than entering a destination with a single route, the airline wants to start with three or four nonstop routes to the US that face no competition.
Separately, BermudAir is set to become the first operator of Embraer's E190F freighter in the Americas, using an aircraft leased from US-based lessor Regional One, according to an announcement by Embraer and Regional One on 16 September. It will be only the second airline worldwide to operate the type, after Malta-based Bridges Air Cargo. The airline currently operates two E175s and two E190s serving ten destinations across the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
