Gulfstream International Airlines
Encyclopedia
Gulfstream International Group, Inc., operating as Gulfstream International Airlines (GIA), is a United States
airline
based in Fort Lauderdale
, Florida
. It operates scheduled and charter services to Florida and Bahamas and the Caribbean
. It operates as a United Express
carrier for United Airlines
. Gulfstream International Airlines flies to 7 destinations in Florida, 8 destinations in the Bahamas, 8 destinations in Montana, and 7 destinations in the northeast (Cleveland). Its main base is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
, with hubs at Tampa International Airport
, Billings Logan International Airport
and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
.
captain for Eastern Air Lines
during the pilots' strike in 1989. Initially it operated as an on-demand air taxi between Miami, Florida
and Cap-Haïtien
, Haiti
, but was relocated to the Bahamas, when the political climate in Haiti forced the operation to halt. The airline also flew diplomatic mail to the U.S. Interest in Havana on a weekly basis. In May 1994, a codeshare agreement was signed with United Airlines
. In December 1995 Gulfstream began the transition from a FAR
135 carrier to FAR 121, allowing operation of larger aircraft such as leased Short 360s. Its parent company, G-Air Holdings, acquired Paradise International Airlines in August 1998 and continued to operate its de Havilland Canada Dash 7
s. In August 2003, Paradise Island Airlines was sold to US Airways. In 2004, a long-term codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines was signed. Thomas L. Cooper sold his stake in the company to Gulfstream International Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation in March 2006. Gulfstream has approximately 600 employees as of April 2009. On November 30, 2011, Continental Airlines ceased to exist and all Continental Connection
flights were rebranded as United Express
.
near Buffalo, NY.
In May 2009, the federal government issued a fine of $1.3 million against Gulfstream International Airlines after the Federal Aviation Administration
found that it had falsified flight time records, allowing crews to fly longer hours than allowed by law, and providing below standard aircraft maintenance.
In response, CEO Dave Hackett stated that "the airline does not have safety violations" and "the vast majority of findings were not violations at all".
Montana
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Bahamas
Gulfstream also operates public bonded charter flights that are not under the Continental Connection code.
The current marketing name is "Continental Connection
"
The Codeshare with Northwest Airlines has expired on June 15, 2009 due to the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It operates scheduled and charter services to Florida and Bahamas and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It operates as a United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
carrier for United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
. Gulfstream International Airlines flies to 7 destinations in Florida, 8 destinations in the Bahamas, 8 destinations in Montana, and 7 destinations in the northeast (Cleveland). Its main base is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
, with hubs at Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
, Billings Logan International Airport
Billings Logan International Airport
-Top Destinations:-External links:* , official site...
and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...
.
History
The airline was established in October 1988 and started operations on December 1, 1990. It was founded by Thomas L. Cooper, a former Boeing 727Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
captain for Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
during the pilots' strike in 1989. Initially it operated as an on-demand air taxi between Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, but was relocated to the Bahamas, when the political climate in Haiti forced the operation to halt. The airline also flew diplomatic mail to the U.S. Interest in Havana on a weekly basis. In May 1994, a codeshare agreement was signed with United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
. In December 1995 Gulfstream began the transition from a FAR
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
135 carrier to FAR 121, allowing operation of larger aircraft such as leased Short 360s. Its parent company, G-Air Holdings, acquired Paradise International Airlines in August 1998 and continued to operate its de Havilland Canada Dash 7
De Havilland Canada Dash 7
The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
s. In August 2003, Paradise Island Airlines was sold to US Airways. In 2004, a long-term codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines was signed. Thomas L. Cooper sold his stake in the company to Gulfstream International Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation in March 2006. Gulfstream has approximately 600 employees as of April 2009. On November 30, 2011, Continental Airlines ceased to exist and all Continental Connection
Continental Connection
Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...
flights were rebranded as United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
.
2009 FAA Investigation
In 2009, Gulfstream International Airlines came under additional scrutiny due to three fatal crashes that all involved pilots that were trained at the Gulfstream Training Academy (its sister company), the last one in February 2009, where 50 died on Colgan Air Flight 3407Colgan Air Flight 3407
Colgan Air Flight 3407, marketed as Continental Connection under a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines, was a daily U.S. regional airline commuter flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York State.A Bombardier...
near Buffalo, NY.
In May 2009, the federal government issued a fine of $1.3 million against Gulfstream International Airlines after the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
found that it had falsified flight time records, allowing crews to fly longer hours than allowed by law, and providing below standard aircraft maintenance.
In response, CEO Dave Hackett stated that "the airline does not have safety violations" and "the vast majority of findings were not violations at all".
2010 Bankruptcy and acquistion by Victory Park
On November 4, 2010, Gulfstream International Airlines, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In May 2011 Victory Park Capital (“Victory Park”) acquired Gulfstream International Airlines when it bought the assets of Gulfstream International Group. Victory Park also purchased 21 of Gulfstream’s Beechcraft 1900D aircraft from Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corporation.Domestic
Florida- Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International AirportFort Lauderdale-Hollywood International AirportFort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
) Hub - Key WestKey WestKey West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
(Key West International AirportKey West International AirportKey West International Airport is a county-owned public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Key West, in Monroe County, Florida, United States....
) - OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
(Orlando International AirportOrlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
) - PensacolaPensacolaPensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
(Pensacola Regional Airport) - Tallahassee (Tallahassee Regional AirportTallahassee Regional AirportTallahassee Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Tallahassee, a city in Leon County, Florida, United States.- History :...
) - TampaTâmpaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
(Tampa International AirportTampa International AirportTampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
) Hub - West Palm Beach (Palm Beach International AirportPalm Beach International AirportPalm Beach International Airport is a public airport located 3 nautical miles west of Palm Beach, Florida, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and serves Palm Beach County. The airport is operated and maintained by Palm Beach County Department of Airports. Road access to the airport is available...
)
Montana
- Billings, MontanaBillings, MontanaBillings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
- Havre, MontanaHavre, MontanaHavre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- Lewistown, MontanaLewistown, MontanaLewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,813 at the 2000 census. Lewistown is located in central Montana, the geographic center of the state, southeast of Great Falls...
- Wolf Point, MontanaWolf Point, MontanaWolf Point is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,621 at the 2010 census. It is the largest community on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wolf Point is the home of the annual Wild Horse Stampede, held every year during the second weekend...
- Glendive, MontanaGlendive, MontanaGlendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.The town of Glendive is located in South Eastern Montana and is considered by many as an agricultural hub of Eastern Montana...
- Glasgow, MontanaGlasgow, MontanaGlasgow is a city in and the county seat of Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,253 at the 2000 census.-History:Glasgow was founded in 1887 as a railroad town by James J. Hill, who was responsible for creating many communities along the Hi-Line. The town was named after...
- Sidney, MontanaSidney, MontanaSidney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Montana, United States, less than away from the North Dakota border. The population was 5,191 at the 2010 census. The city lies along the Yellowstone River and is in proximity to the badlands of the Dakotas...
- Miles CityMiles CityMiles City could refer to some places in the United States:* Miles City, Florida* Miles City, Montana** Miles City Municipal Airport in Miles City, Montana...
New York
- JamestownJamestown, New YorkJamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
(Chautauqua County-Jamestown AirportChautauqua County-Jamestown AirportChautauqua County/Jamestown Airport is a public airport located three statute miles north of the central business district of Jamestown, a city in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. This county-owned airport covers and has two runways...
)
Ohio
- Cleveland (Cleveland Hopkins International AirportCleveland Hopkins International AirportCleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...
) Hub
Pennsylvania
- BradfordBradford, PennsylvaniaBradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 19th century...
(Bradford Regional AirportBradford Regional AirportBradford Regional Airport is a public airport located in Lewis Run, 10 miles south of the central business district of Bradford, a city in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The airport serves Pennsylvania and Western New York...
) - DuBoisDuBois, PennsylvaniaDuBois is a city in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the principal city in the DuBois, Pa Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
(DuBois Regional Airport) - Franklin (Venango Regional AirportVenango Regional AirportVenango Regional Airport , also known as Chess Lamberton Field, is a public airport in western Pennsylvania, two miles southwest of the central business district of Franklin and about southwest of Oil City. Both cities are located in Venango County, which operates the airport. The airport covers ...
)
West Virginia
- LewisburgLewisburg, West VirginiaLewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,830 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greenbrier County.-Geography:Lewisburg is located at ....
(Greenbrier Valley AirportGreenbrier Valley AirportGreenbrier Valley Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles north of the central business district of Lewisburg, a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Greenbrier County Airport Authority....
) - ParkersburgParkersburg, West VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
(Mid-Ohio Valley Regional AirportMid-Ohio Valley Regional AirportMid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport , also known as Wood County Airport or Gill Robb Wilson Field, is a public airport located six miles northeast of the central business district of Parkersburg, a city in Wood County, West Virginia, USA...
)
International
Bahamas
- AndrosAndros, BahamasAndros Island is an archipelago within the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas, the largest of the 26 inhabited Bahamian Islands. Geo-politically considered a single island, Andros has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined...
(Andros Town International AirportAndros Town International AirportAndros Town Airport or Andros Town International Airport is an airport serving Andros Town on Andros Island in the Bahamas. It is also known as Fresh Creek Airport....
) - Bimini (South Bimini AirportSouth Bimini Airport-External links:*...
) - FreeportFreeport, BahamasFreeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of Grand Bahama of the North-west Bahamas. In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests in Grand Bahama, was granted 50,000 acres Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of...
(Grand Bahama International AirportGrand Bahama International AirportGrand Bahama International Airport is a privately owned international airport in Freeport, Bahamas. The airport is a joint venture between Hutchison Port Holdings and The Port Group...
) - George TownExumaExuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands . The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma by a small bridge. The capital and largest city in the district is George Town , founded 1793 and located on Great...
, Exuma (Exuma International AirportExuma International AirportExuma International Airport is a public airport serving the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas. It is located near Moss Town, northwest of George Town. The airport services mainly light aircraft and regional jets from the United States and The Bahamas....
) - Governor's HarbourGovernor's HarbourGovernor's Harbour is a former district of the Bahamas. It corresponds roughly to the current district of Central Eleuthera....
(Governor's Harbour Airport) - Marsh HarbourMarsh HarbourMarsh Harbour is a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas, with a population of 5,314.With more than five thousand residents, Marsh Harbour is the third largest town in The Bahamas, and the main focus of tourism in the Abacos. Marsh Harbour is a shipbuilding center, but tourism accounts for most of its...
(Marsh Harbour AirportMarsh Harbour AirportMarsh Harbour Airport is an airport serving Marsh Harbour, a town in the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas.Marsh Harbour is a major tourist attraction in the Bahamas. The airport serves Nassau and a few Florida cities...
) - North EleutheraNorth EleutheraNorth Eleuthera is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the island of Eleuthera.Sweetings Pond in North Central Eleuthera is recognized as a site of special ecological value, containing, it is estimated, a concentration of Ophiothrix oerstedi brittlestars at up to 434 individuals per square...
(North Eleuthera Airport) - Treasure CayTreasure CayTreasure Cay, Bahamas is a small coastal community on the east coast of the island of Abaco in the Bahamas. Treasure Cay is approximately 165 miles due east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States....
, AbacoAbaco IslandsThe Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Elbow Cay, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Castaway Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Stranger's Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walker's Cay, Little Grand...
(Treasure Cay AirportTreasure Cay AirportTreasure Cay Airport is an airport serving Treasure Cay, in the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas.-Facilities:The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring ....
)
Gulfstream also operates public bonded charter flights that are not under the Continental Connection code.
Fleet
The Gulfstream International Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (at March 2009):- 23 Raytheon Beech 1900D AirlinerBeechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
- 24 Saab 340B Plus Aircraft are to be added to the fleet in the next 24 months. The first Saab 340 B Plus is scheduled to arrive in November 2011, with an additional aircraft each month thereafter.
Codeshare agreements
Gulfstream International Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
- Copa AirlinesCopa AirlinesCompañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., operating as Copa Airlines ', is an airline based in Panama City, Panama, and serves as Panama's flag carrier...
- United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
- Island AirIsland AirIsland Air is an independent American commuter airline based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii. It operates scheduled inter-island passenger services in Hawaii...
The current marketing name is "Continental Connection
Continental Connection
Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...
"
The Codeshare with Northwest Airlines has expired on June 15, 2009 due to the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines.