Based out of San Andros International Airport on Andros Island in the Bahamas, Western Air Limited was established in September 2000 by Captain Rex J. Rolle and his wife, Shandrice Woodside-Rolle. According to their website, the couple “fused their knowledge, experience and passion for aviation to provide an alternative, reliable air transportation service.” Although the initial intention when establishing the airline was to just have one aircraft that would go back and forth between San Andros and Nassau, they soon recognized an existing gap that needed to be filled.
Now, valued at over US$90 million, Western Air is not only the largest privately owned airline in The Bahamas, with over 230 employees, but is also one of the largest and most successful Black-owned and operated airlines.
As the company continues to break barriers, challenging the status quo, the Rolle’s daughter, 35-year-old Sherrexcia “Rexy” Rolle, is showing us that the sky is literally the limit as she joins the 8% of airline CEOs that are women! Effective 1 January, 2024, she was officially appointed President, CEO and Accountable Manager of the company, making her one of the few women in the male-dominated aviation industry to hold such high-level positions.
She brings to her new roles over 15 years of airline experience, including 9+ years of serving as the Vice President of Operations and General Counsel, overseeing the legal and regulatory affairs of the airline. She has also been recognized as having played a crucial role in driving the airline’s growth through the acquisition of new aircrafts and the launching of new routes, including the first U.S. route between Nassau, Bahamas, and Fort Lauderdale. The airline also has daily flights between Nassau and Freeport, Abaco, Exuma, Cat island, Bimini, Congo Town, and San Andros, as well as on demand charter flights throughout the Caribbean, the United States, and Central and South America.
