MD-80s | 2005

(TOP)
Airline - Jade Air
Aircraft - McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | VP-CUR
Delivered to Republic Airways, 1981
Sold to Jade Airways, 1995
Stored at Pinal Airpark, 2008
Sold to Republic Airways, 2009
Stored at Pinal Airpark, 2014
Scrapped at Pinal Airpark, 2014
Livery - Standard 2005
Country - Cayman Islands

(BOTTOM)
Airline - Jade Air
Aircraft - McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | VP-CVI
Delivered to Jade Airways, 1996
Stored at Grand Cayman Owen Roberts International Airport, 2020
Stored at Victorville, 2020
Livery - Standard 2005
Country - Cayman Islands

Shown here are examples of an MD-81 and MD-88 operated by Jade Air in 2005, when the new brand identity was introduced. Unfortunately, just over a year later - in May 2006 - an MD-88, registered VP-CVK (not shown here) and operating a flight from Montego Bay (Jamaica) to Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe) suffered an explosive decompression and in-flight breakup north of Jacmel (Haiti), killing all 133 passengers and crew on board. This was the only deadly accident in Jade Air's history, and to this day remains the deadliest air accident to occur in Haiti. It dealt a huge blow to Jade Air's reputation, caused it to lose its effective monopoly on the intra-Caribbean market, and nearly cost it its partnership with Royal Airways. As demand dropped after the crash and the airline was forced to shrink, it retired all ten of its MD-81s by early 2009 (actually selling them back to Republic). This meant that despite three 737-300s being bought from Southeast Airlines in 2009, the overall fleet shrank by seven. Having gone through a lot of reputational and financial damage, Jade Air nevertheless survived the ordeal.