Paradise Island Airlines

Paradise Island Airlines

IATA ICAO Callsign BK PDI Paradise Island
Commenced operations	March 1989
Ceased operations	May 1999
Fleet size	de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7
Destinations	See Destinations below
Parent company	Resorts International

Paradise Island Airlines was an American airline that connected Florida with Paradise Island in the Bahamas in the 1990s.^[1][2] According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the airline's two letter code was "BK".^[3]

Merv Griffin Enterprises' Resorts International owned hotels and other resort amenities on Paradise Island, as well as Chalk's Ocean Airways, which carried tourists to the island. However, Chalk's seaplanes were restricted to daylight operations due to the difficulty of landing on water at night. Accordingly, Resorts International launched Paradise Island Airways in March 1989, to handle increased vacation traffic from Florida to the Bahamas.^[4] The airline operated the STOL (short takeoff and landing) de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop which was well suited for the service given the relatively short 3,000 foot runway at the Paradise Island Airport.

After financial difficulties and a series of ownership changes for the two airlines, Paradise Island Airways closed in May 1999.

Destinations

• Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL)
• Miami, Florida (MIA)
• Paradise Island, Bahamas (PID) - primary destination
• West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI)
• Orlando, Florida (MCO)

Fleet

• Three (3) de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 STOL-capable turboprop aircraft

References

1. "Paradise Island Airlines".
2. "Flying Boat, Inc. (Chalk's Ocean Airways)".
3. Sept. 15, 1994 Official Airline Guide (OAG)
4. "New Planes Help Deliver Visitors To Paradise Island".