Bahamasair Holdings Limited, operating as Bahamasair, is an airline based in the Bahamasair House in Nassau, Bahamas.[2] It is the national airline and operates domestic scheduled services to 14 destinations and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean and the United States. Its main base is Lynden Pindling International Airport.[3] It has the same logo as the Bahamas current logo.
History
Bahamasair De Havilland Canada DHC-6 operating an inter-island service from Nassau in 1975 wearing the original colour scheme
Bahamasair was born out of the oil crisis of the 1970s. In 1970, British Airways stopped flying to The Bahamas, and the Bahamian Government accurately predicted that some of the other major airlines flying to the country would follow British Airways' lead.[citation needed] Bahamasair was therefore established by the government and started operations on 7 June 1973,[1] by acquiring the operations of Flamingo Airlines and Out Island Airways.
Bahamasair initially encountered operating difficulties, including poor maintenance facilities, economic conditions and company structure. Those factors brought public distrust as a consequential added problem. However, jet airliners started to arrive in the shape of brand new Boeing 737s, and in 1972, it opened its first international service, from Nassau to Tampa, Florida. In 1973, the government's vision of many airlines leaving the island became a reality, when Pan Am and some other major companies decided to stop operating to The Bahamas. This enabled Bahamasair to capture a substantial part of the Bahamas scheduled air transport market. Through the rest of the 1970s, Bahamasair kept adding flights to other cities in Florida and, domestically, the presence of the airline also grew rapidly. Intra-island flights were operated by the turboprop De Havilland Canada DHC-6.
During the early 1980s, Bahamasair unsuccessfully tried to expand to the Northeast United States, opening flights to Philadelphia, Washington DC (Dulles) and Newark, New Jersey. But in 1989, the airline's directors decided that those routes were not profitable and cut them off the airline's route map. Also in 1989, the Boeing 727 first came into the fleet. They would acquire a total of two. That was also the year that a new livery and workers' uniform were introduced. The Boeing 727's however, could not be kept into service long because of political favors and interference, thereby causing the company to lose vast sums of money in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1991, De Havilland DHC-8 turbine propellor aircraft were purchased to substitute the whole jet fleet comprising 737-200s. In 1997, the Boeing 737's returned to service because key routes warranted the cargo and passenger carrying capabilities offered by the 737-200. The 737-200 is deployed to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and 1 domestic destination, Freeport.
Destinations
Livery
Its latest livery, which was first introduced in October 2004, has, so far, only been applied to the Boeing 737s in the fleet. It is a white fuselage with a light blue belly and engines, with the airline's name above the windows. The "Bahamas" part of the name is in light blue, the "air" part in red. On the tail is the colourful logo of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Older liveries are relegated to the Dash 8's, some of which maintained the traditional Bahamian flag colors of black, aquamarine and gold located on the tailfin, including aquamarine and gold stripes on the rearward half of the fuselage since their purchase in the mid-1980s. The newer Dash 8 models remain in solid white livery, yet maintains the Bahamian flag on the tailfin only. All Dash 8's maintain the Bahamasair logo on the top fuselage, near the front doors.
Fleet
Bahamasair Fleet
| Aircraft |
In Fleet |
Orders |
Passengers |
Notes |
| Boeing 737-400 |
|
1 |
150 |
Medium Haul |
| Boeing 737-500[4] |
2 |
1 |
120 |
Medium Haul |
| Bombardier Dash 8 300 |
5 |
0 |
50 |
Short Haul and Island flights |
| Total |
7 |
2 |
|
|
Fleet Additions
In November 2011, the government discussed plans to replace the Bahamasair Boeing 737-200 aircraft with more fuel efficient and cost effective aircraft. However, it was said that the Boeing 737-500 may serve as a replacement for the current jet fleet. In 2012, Bahamasair confirmed they would be taking delivery of two Boeing 737-500s from Aerolíneas Argentinas with a 120 passenger all-economy class layout. The first aircraft was delivered on 30 March 2012 and put into service in April 2012. The second 737-500 was delivered on 21 June 2012. Bahamasair retired their last 2 Boeing 737-200's in September 2012. Bahamasair will take the Third Boeing 737-500 from Scandinavian Airline System (SAS)in February 2014
Former Aircraft
A now retired Bahamasair Boeing 737-200 departing Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida. (1989)
Bahamasair has also operated the previous aircraft:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook (3rd ed.). Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 0-9653993-8-9.
- ↑ "Directory: World Airlines. Flight International. 16–22 March 2004. 96.
- ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 84.
- ↑ Bahamasair commissions new Boeing 737-500
External links
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