Caribbean start-up AVA Airways has taken the Curaçaoan Minister of Traffic, Transportation and Urban Planning, Suzanne Camelia-Römer, to court over her refusal to grant AvA Airways (Curaçao) (Curacao) an economic permit.
In a statement issued to the Caribbean press this week, AVA Airways said the case was currently before a local court in Curacao. In it, AVA Airways has taken Camelia-Römer to task over her refusal to deal with a Letter of Objection filed with her ministry following the economic permit's rejection. In the letter, AVA Airways management has demanded to see the contents of several unspecified documents Camelia-Römer used to justify the rejection of AVA Airways's application.
In 2015, government claimed a lack of clarity as to who AVA Airways' actual backers are had led to the permit's rejection. Under local law, the majority of the shareholders in any firm must have Dutch citizenship while the majority of Directors must have Dutch citizenship and be registered in Curaçao.
The government has also argued that given that it does not possess aircraft, personnel, or physical premises, AVA Airways cannot be granted operating permits. The airline has, in turn, countered that before it can apply for any of the requisite licenses and certificates, it must first obtain said economic permit for which it claims it has all the necessary paperwork.
As it stands, AVA Airways advocate Chester Petersen said government lawyers have confirmed the ministry will respond to their Letter of Objection by week's end.
Late last year, AVA Airways announced that it had signed a USD65million strategic partnership agreement with US-based private equity firm Capital Partners, Inc.
Under the terms of the deal, USD20 million would be made available immediately to AvA Airways (Dominican Republic) (Santo Domingo Las Américas) to complete certification and launch operations from the Dominican Republic.
