Vieques Air Link

What Vieques Air Link does

Vieques Air Link, Inc. (VAL) is a privately held Puerto Rico-based public charter airline founded in 1965, operating as an FAA Certified Air Carrier (Certificate #VLIA127A) and DOT-authorized commuter carrier (Public Charter PC# PC-24-115). The company runs 30+ daily flights connecting Vieques (VQS), Culebra (CPX), Ceiba (RVR), San Juan Isla Grande (SIG), and St. Thomas (STT) using small fixed-wing aircraft — Britten-Norman Islander (9-passenger), Trislander, and Piper PA32 Cherokee (5-passenger) — purpose-suited to the short runways of smaller Caribbean islands that larger regional jets cannot serve. Passenger revenue is collected at booking under a public charter model protected by escrow at First Merchants Bank and a surety trust from United Surety & Indemnity Company, with no overbooking exposure.

The business spans four revenue streams: scheduled public charter passenger service, on-demand private charter flights, dedicated cargo charter (1,300–2,000 lbs per aircraft), and ancillary fees including excess baggage ($2.00/lb beyond 25 lbs free allowance), pet fees ($30), unaccompanied minor service ($25), and name/change fees. Distribution runs through the company's own booking website (reservations.viequesairlink.com), native iOS/Android apps, a call center (787-741-8331), airport counters at all five stations, a travel agency agent portal, and ground-handling partners Fly The Whale (St. Thomas) and Airport Service BVI (Tortola). A Frequent Flyer Loyalty Program awards 30–60 points per segment, redeemable for free flights, with a 60-point signup bonus.

VAL serves primarily tourists and leisure travelers visiting Vieques and Culebra (Flamenco Beach, bioluminescent bays), with secondary segments in business and medical travel between Puerto Rico and the USVI, and charter/group traffic to Tortola and other BVI destinations. In 2025 the company launched a Ceiba–St. Thomas route (4 daily flights on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays), released mobile applications, and continues to extend its partnership network. With 60+ employees including pilots, certified mechanics, and support staff, VAL is a small, operationally focused regional carrier with no disclosed institutional ownership, M&A activity, or funding rounds.

Name

Vieques Air Link

Legal name

Vieques Air Link Inc.

Website

https://viequesairlink.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vieques Air Link is a Puerto Rico-based FAA-certified public charter airline founded in 1965, operating 30+ daily small-aircraft flights connecting Vieques, Culebra, Ceiba, San Juan Isla Grande, and St. Thomas for tourists, business, and medical travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Air Transportation

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Scheduled Commuter (Part 135/Small Aircraft Scheduled) (THABACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ad Hoc Passenger Charter Operators (THABADAB)

Keywords

• Regional airline services
• Charter flight services
• Caribbean air transport
• Inter-island flights
• Public charter aviation

Headquarters

HQ city

Puerto Rico

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Charter Passenger Revenue: The company sells seats on public charter flights as the charter operator and Direct Air Carrier under DOT Public Charter Regulations (14 C.F.R. Part 380, PC# PC-24-115). Fares are sold as both non-refundable and refundable options. Payment is protected via escrow at First Merchants Bank and a surety trust from United Surety & Indemnity Company. Revenue is collected at the time of booking.
2. Private Charter Flights: Full-plane charter bookings with prepayment required. Cancellation penalties range from 25% (31+ days before flight) to 100% (within 24 hours or no-show). Change fees of $100 (48+ hours) or $250 (less than 48 hours). Waiting time charged at $200/hour.
3. Cargo Charter Services: Dedicated cargo charter flights using BN2 Islander (1,300 lbs allowance) and BN Tri Islander (2,000 lbs allowance) aircraft.
4. Baggage and Ancillary Fees: Excess baggage charged at $2.00 per pound beyond the included 25 lbs free allowance. Pet travel fee of $30 each way, with optional kennel rental at $15. Unaccompanied Minor service fee of $25 per flight. Name change fee of $20 per passenger. Flight change fees of $20 per direction per passenger.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vieques Air Link is an FAA-certified regional airline operating public charter flights connecting Puerto Rico's smaller islands (Vieques, Culebra, Ceiba) with San Juan Isla Grande and St. Thomas. The company operates more than 30 daily flights using Britten-Norman Islander, Trislander, and Piper PA32 Cherokee aircraft. In addition to scheduled service, it offers private charter flights, cargo charter operations, and a frequent flyer loyalty program.

Product overview

Vieques Air Link is an FAA-certified regional Caribbean airline founded in 1965, operating as a public charter carrier with more than 30 daily flights. The company offers a single integrated portfolio comprising regular scheduled public charter flights, private charter services, cargo charter operations, and a frequent flyer loyalty program. All flights are operated using small regional aircraft (Britten-Norman Islander, Piper PA32-Cherokee, and Trislander). The company also provides customer-facing mobile applications for iOS and Android enabling reservations and booking management. The product ecosystem is completed by travel agency booking tools and a frequent flyer portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Flight Services Scheduled public charter flights connecting Vieques (VQS), Culebra (CPX), Ceiba (RVR), San Juan Isla Grande (SIG), and St. Thomas (STT), operated using Britten-Norman Islander (9-passenger), Piper PA32-Cherokee (5-passenger), and Trislander aircraft. Aimed at tourists, residents, business travelers, and medical patients needing inter-island Caribbean transport.
• Private Charter Flights On-demand full-plane private charter services for passengers and groups operated with Islander and Piper Cherokee aircraft, including flights to BVI islands (Tortola, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Virgin Gorda). Reservations must be prepaid; cancellation penalties range from 25% to 100%. Aimed at groups, businesses, and travelers needing flexible on-demand Caribbean air transport.
• Ceiba – St. Thomas Route New international route launched in 2025 connecting Ceiba (RVR) Puerto Rico to St. Thomas (STT) USVI, operated with 4 daily flights on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays, expanding scheduled service between Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
• Cargo Charter Services Dedicated cargo charter flights with specified payload allowances: 1,300 lbs for BN2 Islander and 2,000 lbs for BN Tri Islander aircraft. Aimed at businesses and individuals needing freight transport to and from Vieques, Culebra, Ceiba, and other Caribbean destinations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Airport Service BVI (ASBVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBVI provides ground handling, immigration, and customs escort services for VAL's Tortola (EIS) charter flights. They unload luggage, escort passengers through immigration, and ensure smooth check-in for departing flights. Speedy Ferries connection is also facilitated through this partnership for onward travel to Virgen Gorda.
• Fly The WhalecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFly The Whale operates the check-in counter at Cyril E. King Airport (STT) main ticketing lobby for all VAL passengers on the Ceiba–St. Thomas route. They handle check-in and baggage drop-off on behalf of Vieques Air Link.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JSX (formerly JetSuiteX): JSX is a US-based public charter operator using 30-seat Embraer ERJs to provide scheduled short-haul service bypassing major hubs. While not in the Caribbean, its public-charter Part 380 regulatory structure and small-aircraft scheduled model closely mirror VAL's operating framework.

Direct peers

• Cape Air: Cape Air operates nine-passenger Cessna 402s across the Caribbean, New England, and Midwest, including routes into St. Thomas. Like VAL, it is a small-aircraft regional/public-charter carrier serving island and short-haul markets where larger airlines cannot operate profitably.
• Silver Airways: Silver Airways is a US regional carrier serving Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, and acquired Seaborne Airlines in 2018. It overlaps with VAL on Puerto Rico/USVI routes and represents the larger end of small-aircraft Caribbean regional competition.
• Seaborne Airlines: Seaborne Airlines historically operated seaplane and small-aircraft service between Puerto Rico, the USVI, and the BVI — directly overlapping VAL's Vieques/Culebra/St. Thomas/Tortola footprint. Now part of Silver Airways, it represents the closest discontinued-style analog to VAL's route structure.
• Air Sunshine: Air Sunshine is a small Part 135 carrier operating Cessna 402s between Florida and the Bahamas/BVI. It is highly comparable in aircraft size, regulatory framework (Part 135 commuter/charter), and island-to-mainland short-haul market.
• interCaribbean Airways: interCaribbean Airways is a Turks & Caicos-based regional carrier serving island destinations across the Caribbean with small turboprop and Embraer aircraft. It competes with VAL for inter-island tourist and resident traffic in adjacent Caribbean geographies.
• BVI Airways: BVI Airways operated scheduled service between the USVI/BVI and mainland US, directly relevant to the same Tortola/St. Thomas inter-island corridor that VAL serves via charter and its 2025 scheduled route. It is a directly comparable island-connecting carrier in the same geography.
• Winair (Windward Islands Airways): Winair operates small regional aircraft (including de Havilland Twin Otters) connecting islands across the Leeward and Windward Antilles. It is highly comparable to VAL as a small-aircraft, inter-island Caribbean scheduled and charter operator.

Emerging players

• Tropic Ocean Airways: Tropic Ocean Airways operates seaplane service across the Bahamas, Florida, and parts of the Caribbean with Cessna Caravans. It overlaps with VAL on tourist island-access use cases but differentiates through seaplane access rather than fixed-wing airstrips.

Regional players

• LIAT (Antigua-based regional airline): LIAT historically operated inter-island turboprop service across the Eastern Caribbean using small ATR and Dash-8 aircraft. It is comparable to VAL in connecting small island destinations unsuited to mainline jets, though LIAT operates further east in the Lesser Antilles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/viequesairlink
• Instagraminstagram.com/viequesairlink
• Xx.com/valairline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vieques-air-link-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vieques Air Link