Bahamasair lists A220 as the main aircraft on potential order

Bahamasair, the national airline of the Bahamas, is closer to closing an order for up to 10 new jets to modernize and expand its fleet.

And, according to the company’s CEO, Tracy Cooper, the Airbus A220 is the most quoted model, according to statements made during the Routes Americas conference last week.

Bahamasair currently has a fleet of 10 aircraft, six of which are new ATR turboprops (of the ATR 42 and ATR 73 variants), but four Boeing 737-700s with an average age of more than 20 years.

Cooper stated that the A220 is the “main aircraft” that the company is evaluating, hinting that Bahamasair has also received proposals from Embraer (E2 family) and Boeing (737 MAX).

Bahamasair Boeing 737-700 (Colin Cooke Photo)

The Airbus A220 “provides us with opportunities to do things that we’re not currently doing, that airplane can fly easily to the full of the U.S. and get us well into Latin America,” the chief executive said.

The A220-300 variant, which carries an average of 140 passengers, has a range of 3,400 nautical miles (6,300 km), which would theoretically allow it to establish routes to the West Coast of the United States as well as much of South America.

A decision on the matter is expected this year, if the financial resources for a deal are made available by the local government.

The A220 family saw a nine-aircraft reduction in its order book in 2024 after strong growth for two consecutive years.

According to Airbus data from January, there are currently 904 firm orders, of which 392 aircraft have been delivered.