Tropic Ocean Airways Announces Major Leadership Transition As Founder Steps Down After Sixteen Years Of Success

Published on October 11, 2025

Tropic Ocean Airways has announced a awesome activity modulation arsenic its Founder steps down aft 16 years of success, transitioning to a Board Member and Strategic Advisor role. The move paves nan measurement for caller activity to guideline nan hose into its adjacent shape of maturation and innovation.

The origins of Tropic Ocean Airways trace backmost to 2009 erstwhile nan institution was founded by its visionary leader. Operating initially retired of a car shed while stationed astatine Naval Air Station Key West, nan institution was calved retired of a heavy belief that seaplane recreation could beryllium revolutionized. Drawing from his extended acquisition arsenic a U.S. Navy combatant pilot, nan laminitis envisioned an hose that would run pinch nan aforesaid level of precision, safety, and professionalism recovered successful subject aviation. He recognized that nan commercialized aerial recreation manufacture had room for improvement, peculiarly erstwhile it came to connecting distant destinations. His extremity was to create a unsocial hose that would span those gaps, providing safe and businesslike seaplane work to destinations that different modes of proscription could not easy reach.

This imagination group nan instauration for what would go 1 of nan astir respected names successful nan aviation industry. Over nan years, Tropic Ocean Airways has grown into nan largest commercialized amphibious usability successful nan world. The hose has completed complete 200,000 flights, carrying astir 650,000 passengers crossed 8 countries, pinch an exceptional information record. In summation to its commercialized success, Tropic Ocean Airways has played a captious domiciled successful humanitarian missions, delivering much than 300,000 pounds of assistance to areas successful need, peculiarly successful nan Bahamas and nan Caribbean. The airline’s committedness to supporting life-saving efforts has been an integral portion of its legacy, and its contributions person saved complete 1,000 lives.

As portion of nan activity change, nan institution is pleased to denote that Jason Schmidt, who has been pinch Tropic Ocean Airways for astir a decade arsenic Chief Financial Officer, will presume nan domiciled of Chief Executive Officer. Schmidt has been an integral portion of nan company’s maturation and success, and his heavy knowing of nan business makes him well-positioned to guideline nan hose into its adjacent phase. Under his leadership, Tropic Ocean Airways will proceed to attraction connected safety, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence arsenic it expands its footprint.

Kimo Buckon, who has served arsenic nan company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, will proceed successful his role. Buckon’s acquisition overseeing regular operations has been cardinal to maintaining nan precocious standards of information and work that nan hose is known for. His continued activity will guarantee that nan company’s day-to-day operations stay soft and that its committedness to information remains paramount.

“I’ve ever believed that bully activity is astir building thing that lasts beyond you.
After 16 years starring this company, Tropic is fresh for maine to measurement backmost from nan CEO domiciled and
day-to-day operations,” said Ceravolo. “This modulation allows maine to proceed supporting the
company strategically while ensuring what we’ve built continues to thrive. What began arsenic an
idea successful a car shed has go a squad of 80 bonzer group crossed 8 departments — one
team, 1 goal. I couldn’t beryllium prouder of what we’ve created together.”

Despite nan activity changes, Tropic Ocean Airways’ halfway values will stay astatine nan bosom of nan company’s operations. These values—Safety Always, Guests astatine nan Heart, Excellence successful Every Step, Find a Way, One Team One Goal, and Enjoy nan Journey—have been nan guiding principles that person helped nan institution turn and succeed. These values will proceed to style nan guidance of nan hose arsenic it navigates caller opportunities and challenges successful nan aviation industry.

“Rob’s entrepreneurial drive, innovation, and desire to situation boundaries person shaped Tropic
into what it is today,” said Schmidt. “It’s an grant to transportation his imagination guardant pinch Kimo and the
entire squad arsenic we proceed to link communities and create exceptional recreation experiences.”

As Tropic Ocean Airways moves guardant nether caller leadership, it remains committed to its ngo of providing safe, reliable, and exceptional seaplane travel. The airline’s rich | history and beardown instauration will service arsenic nan bedrock for early growth, ensuring that it remains a leader successful nan world of amphibious aviation.

“Those values are much than words connected a wall,” he said. “They’re nan heartbeat of this company
and will proceed to specify Tropic agelong aft immoderate of america move on.”