Bahamasair is considering a significant expansion of its fleet with the potential order of Airbus A220 aircraft. Tracy Cooper, CEO of Bahamasair, revealed at the Routes Americas conference in Nassau that the airline is evaluating an order for eight to ten planes. These new jets would replace the aging Boeing 737-700s currently in service and potentially grow the fleet.
“The main aircraft that we’re looking at is the Airbus [A]220,” Cooper stated. The decision on this order could be made within the year, contingent upon securing capital for the purchase.
The Airbus A220 offers Bahamasair opportunities to extend its reach beyond current capabilities. “That airplane can fly easily to the full [breadth] of the U.S. and get us well into Latin America,” Cooper explained.
According to Airbus specifications, the A220-300 has a range of approximately 3,900 miles with a standard two-class seating arrangement, surpassing both Bahamasair’s existing Boeing 737s and competing models like Embraer’s E195-E2.
Currently, Bahamasair operates flights from four U.S. airports: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Miami International Airport (MIA), Orlando International Airport (MCO), and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). The airline also services routes to Cap-Haitien in Haiti; Havana; Montego Bay in Jamaica; and Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.
The introduction of A220s could enable Bahamasair to launch nonstop flights from Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) to destinations such as Colombia, Mexico, and Panama. This strategic move aims to partner with major Latin American airlines to increase tourism traffic into the Bahamas.
“The intent is really to get [visitors] onto Bahamasair and into beds in the hotels here in the Bahamas,” Cooper noted.
Bahamasair remains under Bahamian government ownership as it explores these expansion plans.
