WILLEMSTAD, ORANJESTAD - Passengers of flight PY631, who were to fly to Paramaribo with Surinam Airways (SLM) on Sunday morning, have been waiting for a plane to pick them up from Aruba and Curaçao for three days.  

SLM has no aircraft of its own, but leases those of the Spanish airline Aura Airlines. But that airline cannot obtain a certificate of airworthiness from the aviation authorities and their aircraft are on the ground.  

Surinam Airways now says that the flight will still be operated tomorrow. It is unclear with which aircraft.  

The delayed flight PY631 from June 5 to Aruba departs from Paramaribo today June 8 at 4.50 pm and arrives in Aruba at 6.35 pm. An hour later, the aircraft flies on to Curaçao, where it arrives at 20.10. The aircraft departs at 00:40 to Suriname.  

The originally scheduled flight PY635 of today, June 8, will only depart a day later, June 9 from Paramaribo at 4.50 pm and arrives in Curaçao at 6.20 pm. At 7:20 p.m., the aircraft will continue to Aruba to arrive there at 7:55 p.m. Departure to Paramaribo is then at 20.55, arrival 00.40 on 10 June. 

Amsterdam and Miami 

SLM says that four other flights are also experiencing problems. It concerns the Amsterdam-Paramaribo flights and back with number PY993/994 from 8 and 10 June.  

Those have been cancelled, allegedly because SLM has not met its payment obligations to the Wamos airline, which is required to operate the flights.  

The same goes for the Paramaribo, George Town, Miami connection on June 11 and 14 with flight number PY421/422.  

SLM is in difficult financial weather, but says it is looking for solutions.