Bahamasair Holdings Limited, is an airline headquartered in Nassau. It is the national airline of the Bahamas and operates scheduled services to 32 domestic and regional destinations in the Caribbean and the United States from its base at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

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. The first flight was to Andros Island and the second to Freeport, Grand Bahama. Bahamas Government purchases 51% of OIA and became the majority shareholder and part owner, named the Airline Bahamasair. The other owners were Edward Albury, Gil Hensler and Sherlock Hackley who had 49%. After a few years the Government had most of the shares by purchasing the shares of Gil Hensler and Sherlock Hackley. The only Bahamian owner of OIA still maintained some shares was Edward Albury. By now the Bahamas Government had control of the Airline.

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

Also in 1973, the government's vision of several airlines discontinuing service to Nassau became a reality, when Pan Am as well as other air carriers 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 DC-3 prop aircraft. This same OAG also lists four daily round trip flights between Nassau and Freeport operated by Bahamasair with BAC One-Eleven twin jets.

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