SkyWay Enterprises Inc. (Kissimmee, FL) Shorts SD3-60 N380MQ (msn SH3702) with two crew members was operating flight SKZ 7101 from St. Maarten to San Juan on October 29 on behalf of FedEx Express per Aviation Herald. The aircraft, while departing the airport, crashed into the Caribbean Sea approximately two nautical miles west of the airport. One body was recovered and the other is missing.

Read the full report from The Daily Herald: CLICK HERE

Skyway Enterprises Inc. operates Shorts 330s, Shorts 360s and Learjets from as far west as Portland Oregon (PDX) to as far east San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) in both scheduled and “On Demand” service. Skyway Enterprises Inc. has F.A.A. authority to operate throughout the United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Skyway Enterprises Inc. has an aircraft to suit your every need and desire for the rapid movement of your cargo.

The history of SkyWay Enterprises (from its website):

SkyWay Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1981 as a Cessna Aircraft dealer to support it’s FAA approved flight school. In December 1983, SkyWay became a certified FAA air carrier and purchased its first learjet. SkyWay then began providing on-demand charter service for the air transportation of freight.

By 1984, SkyWay added a second Learjet to meet the increasing demand for air transportation of freight and expanded its services to accommodate passengers. In 1985, as demand for SkyWay’s services continued to increase, SkyWay purchased two more Learjets bring the fleet to a total of four aircraft.

In 1987, as SkyWay continued to diversify, it entered into the Air Ambulance service and continued to increase its executive passenger and freight services. SkyWay was also awarded a contract by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan for scheduled service from Michigan to Florida. During this time, two additional Turboprop aircraft where added bringing the fleet to six aircraft.

During 1989, while the automotive market was struggling, SkyWay looked for an area that was less prone to the cyclic changes of the Detroit area and relocated to Kissimmee Florida. This offered more independence and provided more business opportunities in the Southern U.S. and Caribbean.

Once in Florida, Kissimmee Aviation Services Inc. began as a sister company of SkyWay providing a Fixed Base Operation service to the Kissimmee Municipal Airport. Also at the time, charter services to the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands started increasing in demand.

In 1994, SkyWay started a more central satellite base in Louisville, KY (KJVY) providing supplemental service to UPS and other freight services such as Kitty Hawk AirCargo, Active Aero, Grand Aire and many others. SkyWay also added two Shorts 330s to it’s fleet allowing for the capacity of a DC-3 with the reliability of a Turboprop aircraft.

In February of 1998, SkyWay purchased two Shorts 360 aircraft formally operated by American Eagle. Two days after this purchase, the two Shorts 330s operated by SkyWay were destroyed by a tornado at the Miami International Airport. After this happened, SkyWay personnel began an intensive program to convert the newly purchased 360s from passenger to cargo configuration. With a concerted effort on everyone’s part, the FAA required STC was approved within 90days of purchase. SkyWay once again would rely on a Shorts to satisfy the needs of its customers in transferring heavy cargo by air. Later that year, SkyWay went on to purchase two additional Shorts 330’s replacing the two that where recently destroyed in Miami. SkyWay also won the purchase of a Military version of the Shorts 330, a C-23 Sherpa from the U.S. Airforce. What makes the C-23 unique is its capability to open in the rear and take “oversized” cargo loads.

With the rapid expansion of the company now moving forward, SkyWay was being awarded contract runs throughout the U.S. and Caribbean. These contracts allowed SkyWay to expand its fleet even further with a purchase of 11 more Shorts 360 aircraft from American Airlines. These aircraft, at the time, where stored in the desert and the project of resurrecting and safely transferring them to Florida was accomplished within 45 days.

SkyWay is constantly striving to provide continued reliable service to the air cargo industry and currently provides contracted services to such companies as: UPS, Airborne Express, DHL, Avon Cosmetics, FedEx and many other cargo forwarders. SkyWay continues to pursue new routes and new customers, exploring new avenues and striving to provide superior service to ensure growth within the air cargo industry.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Shorts SD3-60 N385MQ (msn SH3707), formerly operated by Simmons Airlines (American Eagle) rests between flights at Miami International Airport.