Above: an Eastern Airlines plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A legendary aviation brand is back.

Eastern Airlines, once a global brand and the pride of Miami’s airport, has returned with a new look and new management after more than two decades.

The newly relaunched carrier will initially begin life as a charter airline, following the debut of its first new plane last week.

That will likely begin in the second quarter of 2015, reportedly beginning with the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

Eastern has already ordered 20 Boeing 737 aircraft for its new fleet, according to its Web site.

The brand is a major part of aviation history, having first launched in 1927 and serving through 1991.

Last month, Eastern and Surinam Airways announced the formation of a strategic partnership in operational support, maintenance and training.

“We are very pleased and honored to partner with Surinam Airways, and to support each other as we grow our airlines. Surinam Airways is an excellent operator with a breadth of experience and we expect to share best practices and find common areas of cost reduction and operational support,” said Ed Wegel, President and CEO of Eastern Air Lines.

As in its earlier incarnation, Eastern will be headquartered in Miami.