Editing Bahamasair (section)

===Early years===
Bahamasair was established by the Bahamas Government and started operations on 17 June 1973 by acquiring the routes of '''Flamingo Airlines''' and the operations and routes of '''Out Island Airways''' ('''OIA'''). During the early 1970s, both Flamingo Airlines and Out Island Airways were operating scheduled passenger services, Flamingo with [[British Aircraft Corporation]] [[BAC One-Eleven]] jets, [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]] turboprops and [[Convair 340]] and [[Douglas DC-3]] prop aircraft while Out Island was operating  [[Fairchild Hiller FH-227]] and [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] turboprops.<ref>[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fal/fq7108/fq7108-2.jpg Quick Reference Timetable] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013111717/http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fal/fq7108/fq7108-2.jpg|date=13 October 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/out/io7205/io7205-1.jpg The Bahama Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012184442/https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/out/io7205/io7205-1.jpg|date=12 October 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fal/fal73/fal73-1.jpg Reservations - Ticketing information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012184445/https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fal/fal73/fal73-1.jpg|date=12 October 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/out/io7205/io7205-2.jpg Island Flying Service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012184444/https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/out/io7205/io7205-2.jpg|date=12 October 2023}}</ref><ref>Aug. 1, 1972 Official Airline Guide (OAG), International Edition, Nassau (NAS) flight schedules</ref>  Out Island later operated the BAC One-Eleven jet as well.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/35499/VP-BDI | title=Aircraft Photo of VP-BDI &#124; BAC 111-401AK One-Eleven &#124; Out Island Airways - OIA &#124; AirHistory.net #35499 }}</ref>

The first Bahamasair flight was to Andros Island and the second to Freeport, Grand Bahama. The Bahamas Government purchased 51% of OIA and became the majority shareholder and part owner, then renamed the airline Bahamasair. The other owners were Edward Albury, Gil Hensler and Sherlock Hackley who had 49%. After a few years the Government had purchased the shares of Gil Hensler and Sherlock Hackley. The only Bahamian owner of OIA still maintaining some shares was Edward Albury.

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 new [[BAC One-Eleven]] twin jets including the stretched series 500 model, followed by one brand new [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-200]], and in 1973, it opened its first service to the US, from Nassau to [[Tampa, Florida]].

Also in 1973, the government's vision of several airlines discontinuing service to Nassau became a reality, when US carrier [[Pan American World Airways]] as well as other airlines 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. According to the February 1, 1976 [[Official Airline Guide]] (OAG), interisland flights were operated with [[Fairchild Hiller FH-227]] and [[STOL]] capable [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] turboprops and also with one [[Douglas DC-3]] prop aircraft. This same OAG also lists four daily round trip flights between [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] and [[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]] operated by Bahamasair with BAC One-Eleven twin jets.<ref>Feb. 1, 1976 North American Official Airline Guide (OAG)</ref>