Flying to the Bahamas

General Information

The Bahamas has around sixty airports scattered across its main islands, including a few with international status or at least connections to neighboring Florida. As expected, Nassau and Freeport airports handle the most traffic.

Types of Flights

Bahamian Airlines

Given the archipelago's size, air travel has been a common mode of transport for some time, and certain islands have developed their own airlines primarily for local or on-demand services. In short, there are about a dozen local carriers (see "inter-island connections"), most operating small aircraft with no more than 20 seats. Bahamasair, based in Nassau, is the national airline, while Western Air, originating from Andros, is the largest.

Charters, Scheduled, and Low-Cost Flights

While the archipelago receives its share of scheduled flights, mainly long-haul, seasonal charters from numerous North American cities also make up a significant portion of traffic during peak season. Additionally, there are all the private charters from Florida, which, when split among several people, can be quite affordable.

Promotions and Special Offers

While promotions and special deals for the Bahamas do exist, they primarily target North America, especially Florida. For travelers from France or Europe, package deals or "flight + hotel" offers are more common than standalone airfare discounts.

From France and Europe

Direct flights from Europe to the Bahamas are extremely limited. The only direct route is London-Nassau operated by British Airways, though XL Airways also runs a weekly Paris-San Salvador flight to serve Club Med guests on that island. Beyond these, all other options require a stopover in North America, primarily Florida. You can either transit through or extend your stay (or stop-over) before taking another flight to the Bahamas (with round-trip options starting around 200 €). In terms of pricing, round-trip flights from France to Nassau typically range from 650 to 900 €, and it’s worth comparing these to all-inclusive or "flight + hotel" packages.

From the Americas

Canada

Regular, seasonal, and charter flights.

Montreal: Grand Bahama (Sunwing), Nassau (Air Canada), San Salvador (Air Transat + Air Canada).

Toronto: Exuma (Air Canada), Grand Bahama (Sunwing), Nassau (Air Canada + Sunwing + WestJet).

Ottawa, Vancouver, and four or five other Canadian cities also have connections, primarily seasonal, mainly to Freeport on Grand Bahama.

United States

Florida: Miami and especially Fort Lauderdale are the main airports for regular or seasonal flights to the Bahamas, operated by local carriers from either country.

-- Fort Lauderdale: Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Nassau, San Salvador.

-- Miami: Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Nassau.

-- Orlando: Abaco, Nassau.

-- West Palm Beach: Abaco, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Nassau.

Rest of the USA: Around fifteen U.S. cities (mostly on the East Coast) have regular or charter flights primarily to Nassau and Grand Bahama.

Caribbean and Surrounding Region

Cayman: Nassau (British Airways).

Cuba: Nassau (Bahamasair).

Haiti: Exuma (IBC Airways).

Jamaica: Nassau (Caribbean Airlines).

Panama: Nassau (Copa).

Turks & Caicos: Nassau (Air Turks&Caicos + Bahamasair).