Tiara Air

The airline was founded by Alejandro Muyale, whose family owns and performs Ground Handling Services at the Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba for over 30 years under the name of General Air Services (GenAir), as well as offering services in Curacao for over 6 years under the name Antillean Flight Services (AFS). Mr. Muyale fulfilled his dream of applying for certification with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) in Aruba. The Economic Authority had been granted an aircraft, a 36-seater Shorts 360 with a second aircraft purchased soon afterward – both from Pacific Coastal Airlines in Canada. Mr. Muyale named the airline after his daughter Tiara Muyale. The word "tiara" is derived from Latin, meaning the word"crown". The company logo of Tiara Air, included a crown on top of the T, representing a Tiara.

In 2008, it was announced that the airline would replace its two Shorts 360, with Saab 340A's with a much greater range as well as introducing new routes in the region and expanding services to current destinations. As of December 2012, the airline still operates its two shorts 360, although a Saab 340 had been leased on occasion.

In 2010, Tiara Air was the official airline for the Aruba International Film Festival. Because of this, an official billboard-like sticker was added on the fuselage of one of the airline's Shorts 360 (P4-TIB). The aircraft carried this special livery between Spring 2010 and Summer 2010. The following years, a poster-size sticker was added near the main exit door of both aircraft as promotion for the festival.

As of October 2010, the airline now offered various new services to customers in the form of the option for online check-in, new cargo services which were available for operations between the islands of Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao and also including the airport tax for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, in purchased tickets.

Due to the Venezuelan Airline Crisis, Tiara Air suspended its services in 2014 with several attempts to restart. In early 2016, it was revealed that the airlines formed a partnership with Venezuela's Avior Airlines which would result in Avior's aid to the airline financially as well as leasing aircraft to the airline to help with its reestablishment. The airline restarted services to Curacao in April 2016 and will recommence service to Las Piedras in May 2016 using one of its remaining Shorts 360.

Air ambulance service

In March 2011, the airline announced it would be soon offering Air Ambulance and Private Jet Services which will be operated by a Learjet 35. The ambulance service was operated with advanced life support-equipment and medical and nursing staff that were 24 hours on call. Service was offered between regional hospitals in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao and cities with larger hospitals in Colombia, typically Barranquilla, Cali, Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga. Private Jet services were available to both insurance companies and private customers.

Agreement with Insel Air

In April 2011, Tiara Air and the Aruban government announced a collaboration with Curaçao's national airline Insel Air. The collaboration should enforce the optimal use of the touristic routes to Aruba.

In order to serve passengers best, the agreement was valid for all routes that both airlines operated. The Aruban government also stated that it was committed to releasing an AOC (Air Operating Certificate) to Insel Air within three months, making it possible for Insel Air to also proceed as an Aruban airline under the name "Insel Air Aruba."

Operations

Headquarters and offices

Tiara Air's corporate headquarters was located in Sabana Blanco, Aruba. The headquarters included the main ticket agency, marketing, and administration, as well as an operations office. The airline also has an office at the airport and has grown to open a third office in the Sun Plaza. he airline also has official offices at each of its destinations. Most notably, in November 2008, a service center had been introduced on the island of Curaçao in addition to the airport office. and on 18 July 2010, a service center had been introduced on the island of Bonaire in addition to the main office at the airport.

During its operations, the KIU System was used for its reservations and check-in, which began in 2011. Prior to using the KIU System, the airline previously used the E-Sav reservation system.

Branding and livery

In 2011, through a campaign to promote the island of Aruba, Tiara Air had been branded as the official airline of Aruba. Because of this, most of Tiara Air's fleet had received the official logo of Aruba applied on their fuselage.

The modified livery on the Shorts 360 features yellow and blue stripes on the lower part of the fuselage with a grey belly, the logo's signature T, and the crown featured on the vertical stabilizer and Tiara Air written above the forward emergency exits along with the star of the Aruban flag. The wheel pants are also grey of color and feature the aircraft type on it written as SD-360 on the aircraft. One aircraft features the official Aruba logo on the forward fuselage with a blue tail with the T and crown in white. The website is also featured.

Incidents and accidents

On 5 December 2011, Tiara Air Aruba performing flight 3P 208 (with registration P4-TIA) from Las Piedras/Punto Fijo Josefa Camejo International Airport to Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad, with 29 passengers and 4 crew, made an emergency landing in Aruba, after the aircraft hit a donkey on the runway of Las Piedras/Punto Fijo with its right main gear just after becoming airborne causing the right main gear to be bent backward. The crew decided to continue to Aruba because of better facilities available at Aruba, which is a distance of 50 mi (81 km). The aircraft landed safely at Aruba with no injury on board, although the right main gear had sustained substantial structural damage and was partially collapsed, no injuries occurred.