Bonaire Celebrates 90 Years of Aviation with Documentary Premiere and Tribute to Flamingo Airport
KRALENDIJK – Bonaire International Airport (BIA), better known as Flamingo Airport, officially kicked off the celebration of 90 years of aviation on the island on Friday evening.
Following welcome remarks by BIA Director Maarten van der Scheer and Supervisory Board President Angel Bermudez, Island Governor John Soliano delivered a speech reflecting on Bonaire’s 90-year aviation history, beginning with the first landing in 1936 and the development of a fully operational airport. He emphasized the importance of Flamingo Airport to the local economy, tourism, daily services, and connectivity to the outside world. Soliano also expressed his appreciation to the airport staff for their daily work in ensuring a safe and efficient operation, and he called for continued strong leadership to secure future success.
During the festive event held at Plaza Resort Bonaire, the public was treated to the premiere of a documentary compiled by Fundashon Históriko Kultural Boneiru (FuHiKuBo), led by Danielson Antoin, who himself has a long career as a pilot. The documentary was enthusiastically received by the audience. It featured footage of the old airstrip once located along the road to Rincon, as well as the construction of the current airport heading toward Belnem. Several former airport staff members were interviewed in the film, many of whom were present in the audience.
Between Tragedy and Humor
The documentary also touched on a tragic moment in Bonaire’s aviation history: the emergency sea landing of a Divi Divi Air flight on October 22, 2009, after one of its engines failed. The aircraft crash-landed a few hundred meters off the coast of Bonaire. The Pilot in Command, Robert Mansell from England, lost his life, while all passengers survived.
The documentary highlights a vital part of the island’s aviation legacy, which is now an integral part of life on Bonaire. It also included humorous anecdotes, such as the story of the island’s first airport manager, Medardo Tielman, who after handling one or two daily flights, would drive to Kralendijk in the evening to run film screenings at Theater Carib—his second job, illustrating just how limited air traffic was in the early days.
Equally striking was a story told by Hugo Gerharts about his father, L.D. Gerharts, who persuaded KLM to begin flights to Bonaire. Initially, the runway was nothing more than a cleared strip of sand at Tras di Montaña. After rain, Gerharts would first drive over the makeshift strip in his own car to make sure it was firm enough for the plane to land safely.
