Draft:Bahamas Airways

• Comment: This article still needs to cite sufficient secondary sources - the bar for WP:NCORP is quite high - even though I do believe that this article could become acceptable if you dig up enough secondary citations. Currently, it has both a verifiability issue and a notability issue, since it mainly relies on primary and self-published sources. Since the previous decline, I see that you added the the NYT article and Cayman Compass article, which are relatively brief but helpful - you need more of that. Try to cite nearly the entire article to sources like that, even if you need to reduce some details. Dreamyshade (talk) 21:13, 31 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: We need to see more secondary coverage of the subject. As a pro-tip you can probably pull sources from the tertiary encyclopedia source you posted. Sulfurboy (talk) 21:00, 15 August 2026 (UTC)

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Bahamas Airways

IATA ICAO Call sign - - -
Founded	1936
Ceased operations	October 9 1970
Fleet size	8
Parent company	Bahamas, BOAC
Headquarters	Bahamas
Key people	Leonard Thompson (founder)

Bahamas Airways was an airline based out of Nassau from 1936 to 1970 before it was dissolved. It was apart of the BOAC group of companies and was one of the first airlines based out of the Bahamas and was a prime example of failures in aviation in the Bahamas. The company had a large impact during the period that the company was active yet is little known today.

History

Bahamas Airways was founded in 1936, the Bahamas has over 700 islands and air transport was a very effective way to connect the island. In 1936 the airline was to take over the routes of Inter-Island Charter Services which was another airline which ceased operations just 3 years later after it was founded (1933-1936). With it's founder being Leonard Thompson and a Millionare being Harry Oakes who helped started the airline and a Loening Air Yacht would be the first aircraft owned by the airline and shortly after the airline would utilize a Douglas Dolphin and the airline would end up taking over Inter Island Charter Services. When Oakes moved to the Bahamas he built the first airport in the country which before then only seaplanes had operated in the Bahamas. A few months later, 20 year-old Abaconian known as Leonard Thompson would have ended up persuadeing Collar to take him on as an apprentice pilot. Thompson was Bahamas Airways’ third employee his seniors were mechanic Bob Addison and a helper named Elgin Rahming.

The airline would have 45% of the airline but it was bought out by British South American Airways.

In March 1956 Bahamas Airways inaugurated a service to Grand Turk, Turks Island via San Salvador Island, Mayaguana and Great Inagua.

In the late 1950s a trio of Hawker Siddeley Heron 2s were selected to replace the Douglas DC 3s but by 1959 all 3 were gone and the DC 3s had returned to the fleet of Bahamas Airways, the Bahamas had become a hub for tourism during the late 1950s but competition from Pan Am among many other airlines even in the Bahamas and as such was created Skyways Bahamas who was owned by Skyways would end up purchasing a stake in the airline, a total of 80% and two Handley Page Hermes were transferred to the airline.

The herms owned by Bahamas Airways were modified to fit the new routes they would be flying yet American passengers were not to keen on flying the type and by 1960 Bahamas Airways was returned to BOAC.

In 1961 two Vickers Viscounts were added to the fleet of the airline, one was owned which was VP-BBV and the other one being leased which was VP-BBW. Both Hermes owned by BAL were sold and replaced by the two Vickers Viscounts. The airline was able to compete with other airlines on it's lucrative routes to Florida but competition flew with Pan Am and Mackey Airlines instead of Bahamas Airways. To contemplate for this in 1961 three of the Grumman Goose aircraft were sold as they proved rather difficult to operate often corroding.

There were two problems with the airline during the 1960s, one of them was politics which had always been an issue in the airline world and engineering. The airline still had it's DC 3 fleet which during the 1960s was getting very costly as according to a manager of Bahamas Airways they had to pay nearly double that for maintenance as opposed to other carriers which is why the airline planned to lease out the Fokker Friendship and have them maintained in Hawaii.

All four would be ex Avensa Fokker F 27s were expected to be leased to Bahamas Airways but the deal had failed and as a result the airline would have to keep it's fleet of Douglas DC 3s.

Several other airlines like Pan Am and British Eagle would propose replacements for Bahamas Airways around the same time as the crisis at Bahamas Airways

In 1964 a Handley Page Herald was leased to Bahamas Airways but the lease would end up ceasing to happen the same year. The year of 1964 was important for the Bahamas and for Bahamas Airways as a result of the Bahamas gaining autonomy from the Bahamas.

The government of the Bahamas had changed it's vison for Bahamas Airways than BOAC's vison which had diverged. Air Bahamas was created in 1965 which highlighted the differentiating visons of the two as the Bahamas felt like BOAC had not extended it's long haul services to the Bahamas. BOAC would continue to support Bahamas Airways and in 1966 four HS 748s were ordered to replace the Vickers Viscounts yet a dispute would happen over the future of Bahamas Airways as BOAC was looking for a way out of Bahamas Airways.

Parent company BOAC would end up looking for an offer to sell Bahamas Airways to and eventually would approach the airline John Swire & Sons which owned Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific which had bought the airline Hong Kong Airways during the 1950s. The Bahamas would end up refusing to take a stake in the airline and BAC 1-11s were ordered by Bahamas Airways, the BAC 1-11-500 was ordered and two more BAC 1-11s were leased and the routes it flew was from Miami-Nassau, Miami-Freeport, West Palm Beach-Freeport-Nassau & Fort Lauderdale-Nassau and the airline would receive these aircraft in 1969 to replace the shorter BAC 1-11s which these aircraft were configured to seat 99 people. One factor to the airline not being profitable was the fact was competitors were utilizing the Boeing 727 instead of the BAC 1-11 that Bahamas Airways was operating and a Boeing 727 was leased from a supplemental carrier. A long range BAC 1-11 was created for Bahamas Airways so that it was not involved with Boeing.

In May of 1970 the airline announced that it was planning jet services to the Cayman Islands in mid November according to Eric Bergstrom who was the head of the Tourist board of Bahamas Airways, this would have a local sales agent set up at the airport with the sales agent being a former BIWA employee. The first flights of this service was to be from December 4 to 6 and from December 14 to 16.

On October 9 1970 Bahamas Airways would cease operations although it was not very known why Bahamas Airways had ceased operations but the BAC fleet went to BAC and then to Court Line. All the BAC 1-11s would end up being back in the Caribbean after all of them went to LIAT. The airline was planning routes to the United States and Jamacia while the airline would also try to attempt while the airline was planned to have an interest owned by the Bahamas Government which did end up to have failed along with the rescission during the time.

Succesion

The airline would go through a 3 year attempt to gain a successor, it would later become Bahamasair after the airlines Flamingo Airlines and Out Island Airways were merged into Bahamasair in 1973.

Fleet

Douglas Dolphin and Loeing Air Yacht

The airline would utilize a Douglas Dolphin in the 1930s and 1940s to replace the sole Loening Air Yacht that was in the fleet of Bahamas Airways. The Loeing Air Yacht was the first aircraft in the Bahamas Airways fleet.

Vickers Viscount

In 1961 the airline leased out the Vickers Viscount to replace the aging Douglas DC 3s that had been in the airlines fleet since the 1950s, one of the first of these aircraft was VP-BBV and VP-BBW with both of them being added into the Bahamas Airways fleet in 1961. VP-BCD would be the third of these aircraft added into the fleet of Bahamas Airways added in 1963. VP-BCE and VP-BCF were the fourth and fifth aircraft added to the fleet of Bahamas Airways, VP-BBW was on lease and returned the same year. VP-BCI was the last Viscount added to the fleet of Bahamas Airways having been added in 1966 on a short term lease which the aircraft was returned the same year. All of the Vickers Viscounts owned by Bahamas Airways were removed from the fleet by the end of 1968.

Hawker Siddely HS 748

The HS 748s were in the Bahamas Airways fleet as an attempt to replace the Viscounts which was in the fleet ever since the DC 3s were phased out. This did not go well before the selling of the airline to Swire Group. The first of these aircraft was VP-BCJ and then a year later 3 more were added to the fleet. VP-BCK, VP BCL and VP-BCM which all of them were no longer in the fleet by 1970 which is when the airline ceased to exist.

Hawker Siddeley Heron

The Hawker Siddely Heron was a small aircraft used in the fleet of Bahamas Airways from 1955 to 1961, These were intitally used to replace the Douglas DC 3s that were in the fleet of Bahamas Airways. The first of these aircraft was a duo in 1955 which were VP-BAN and VP-BAO which were soon joined in 1956 by the final member, this was VP-BAP but in 1958 VP-BAO was removed from the fleet and the rest of the fleet was removed in 1959.

Handley Page Herald

In 1964 VP-BCG was leased.

Handley Page Hermes

The fleet of Handley Page Hermes was a small fleet consisting of only 3 aircraft, the first of these aircraft was VP-BBO begining it's lease in 1959, two more of the type would join the fleet of Bahamas Airways with VP-BBP and VP-BBQ in 1960 but in 1961 the airline would stop using the type.

BAC 1-11

The BAC 1-11s were the last aircraft type to be utilized by Bahamas Airways, the first of the BAC 1-11s was added to the fleet with the first of these aircraft being VP-BCY and the second BAC 1-11 of Bahamas Airways being delivered was VP-BCZ with both of these aircraft being the -400 variant of the BAC 1-11. These were replaced with two newer BAC 1-11s being VP-BCN and then VP-BCO being added to the fleet of Bahamas Airways 6 days later. In April 1970 a BAC 1-11 was added to the fleet of Bahamas Airways with a fifth one on order. There was also VP-BCQ which was a BAC 1-11 bound for Bahamas Airways which was not taken up as BAW ceased operations in October of 1990.

Canadian Vickers Catalina

A Single Catalina was removed from the fleet in 1956.

Douglas DC 3

The Douglas DC 3s in the fleet of Bahamas Airways were utilized and were a mainstay in the fleet, when the herons were removed from the Bahamas Airways fleet the DC 3s came back to the fleet, it is not known when N142HD was in the fleet of Bahamas Airways though it was written off. VP-BAP and VP-BAQ were the first known Douglas DC 3s in the fleet of Bahamas Airways which were both added in 1950 and removed from the fleet in 1952. VP-BAU came next in 1951 but was removed from the fleet of Bahamas Airways the same year. Both aircraft were removed from the fleet of Bahamas Airways and the airline had mostly Grumman Goose aircraft. In 1958 a fleet of 2 Douglas DC 3s in the fleet were VP-BAA and VP-BAH and VP-BAB was added into the fleet of Bahamas Airways.

Grumman G-21 Goose

The Grunmann G-21 was one of the most common aircraft in the fleet of Bahamas Airways being one of the many in the fleet. NC1057M was the first of these aircraft which was later VP-BAE in 1945 and during the 1940s would add more gradually into the fleet of Bahama Airways.

Accidents and Incidents

On March 17 1947 a Bahamas Airways Grunmann G 21 A Goose went out of control and crashed, there were no fatalities.

On November 20 1960 a Douglas DC 3 of Bahamas Airways would suffer an engine fire for unknown reasons, the crew of the aircraft were unable to extinguish the fire and the crew ended up crash landing.

See also

List of defunct airlines of the Bahamas