American Airlines is tightening the air bridge between South Florida and the islands of the Bahamas, launching new nonstop service from Miami to Bimini while continuing to build out direct links to Freeport and George Town. The new Miami–Bimini route, which began on February 14, 2026, gives travelers a sub‑one‑hour hop to one of the archipelago’s closest and most storied islands and reinforces Miami International Airport’s role as a leading gateway to the Caribbean.
Miami to Bimini: The Bahamas’ New Short-Haul Star
The headline change to American’s Bahamas schedule is the new nonstop connection between Miami International Airport and South Bimini Airport. The route, operating three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, is now the only regularly scheduled nonstop service from the United States to Bimini. With a flight time of under an hour and a distance of roughly 60 miles, it is the shortest international route in American’s global network.
Flights are operated under the American Eagle banner with Embraer 175 aircraft, configured with both a premium cabin and economy seating. The schedule is tailored to same‑day vacationers and weekend escapees: morning departures from Miami position travelers on Bimini’s beaches before lunch, with late morning returns offering a full morning on the island before heading back to the mainland. For South Floridians, the journey time is now closer to a commute than a long‑haul getaway.
American’s network planners have framed Bimini’s debut as a response to rising demand for short, experience‑driven breaks to distinctive destinations. By turning a historically boat‑ and charter‑dependent island into an easy scheduled flight from one of its largest hubs, the carrier is betting that proximity and novelty will draw more U.S. visitors to a destination long favored by boaters, anglers and divers.
Strengthening an Already Deep Miami–Bahamas Network
The Bimini launch plugs into what is already the most extensive U.S. airline operation in the Bahamas. From Miami, American now offers direct flights to Nassau, Freeport, Marsh Harbour, North Eleuthera, George Town and Governor’s Harbour, with Bimini becoming the seventh Bahamian destination in the network. During the peak winter season, the carrier operates more than 30 daily flights between the United States and the Bahamas, the highest volume of any U.S. airline serving the country.
For Miami International Airport, the expanded Bahamas schedule comes as part of a record‑setting winter operation, with more than 430 peak daily departures from American alone. The Bahamas routes serve as both vital leisure corridors and important feeders into American’s broader international network, allowing passengers from across North America to connect through Miami and reach multiple islands on the same day.
Freeport on Grand Bahama and George Town on Great Exuma remain key pillars of that network. American’s nonstop services from Miami into these gateways give travelers direct access to two very different interpretations of Bahamian escape: the resort and activity hub of Freeport and the more low‑slung, turquoise‑fringed seascape of the Exumas. By placing Bimini alongside these established routes, the airline is offering a more nuanced menu of island experiences from a single U.S. gateway.
Tourism Boom Drives New Connectivity
The expansion of Miami–Bahamas air service is unfolding against a backdrop of historic tourism growth for the islands. Visitor arrivals to the Bahamas surged in 2025, surpassing pre‑pandemic levels by a wide margin and underscoring the country’s emergence as one of the Caribbean’s most resilient and in‑demand destinations. Officials have highlighted particularly strong performance in air arrivals, a trend that has encouraged airlines to add capacity and new routes.
For the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, new nonstop services from major U.S. cities are seen as critical to sustaining that growth. Regularly scheduled flights reduce friction for travelers who might otherwise have opted for more predictable Caribbean options and help spread visitor flows beyond the capital, Nassau, into the so‑called Out Islands such as Bimini and Great Exuma.
The ministry has welcomed American’s latest move as both an economic and strategic win. More direct airlift from Miami, the largest international gateway to the Bahamas, strengthens hotel performance, supports local excursions and marinas, and encourages new investment in resort and infrastructure projects. It also broadens the country’s appeal beyond cruise passengers and long‑stay guests in Nassau, helping diversify the tourism base.
Bimini: Gateway Island Comes Into the Spotlight
Bimini’s addition to American’s Miami schedule is particularly symbolic for the Bahamas. Often marketed as the Gateway to the Bahamas, the tiny island chain lies just 50 to 60 miles east of Miami, closer to Florida than many of the state’s own Keys. Long a favorite of sport fishers, yachters and day‑trippers, Bimini has historically been more accessible by boat or private air than by scheduled commercial service from the U.S. mainland.
That dynamic changes with American’s three‑times‑weekly flights. Travelers can now board a morning flight from Miami and find themselves stepping onto Bimini’s docks in under an hour, avoiding the uncertainties of sea conditions or limited charter schedules. Resorts and marinas on the island, including large integrated properties with casinos, beaches and marinas, are positioning the new link as a game‑changer that opens Bimini to a broader market of casual vacationers.
The island’s tourism offering leans heavily on its surrounding waters. Visitors can snorkel over shipwrecks and reefs, spot dolphins and rays on organized excursions, or try big‑game fishing in the deep waters that helped make Bimini famous. On land, golf carts and small jitneys navigate a compact strip of pastel villages, beach bars and waterfront restaurants serving fresh seafood and conch. With the Miami route turning Bimini into an almost spur‑of‑the‑moment escape, local businesses are bracing for a mix of short‑stay visitors and repeat weekend guests.
Freeport and George Town Hold Their Ground
While Bimini’s launch has dominated recent headlines, American’s existing services from Miami to Freeport and George Town continue to anchor the airline’s Bahamas portfolio. Freeport, the main city on Grand Bahama, is one of the country’s most established tourism centers, with large beachfront hotels, golf courses, marinas and shopping districts designed to cater to both cruise passengers and fly‑in visitors.
American’s nonstop Miami–Freeport flights provide a vital link to that tourism economy, especially as Grand Bahama continues to rebuild and refresh its visitor infrastructure following hurricane seasons in recent years. Direct U.S. access helps hotel operators attract group business and packaged tours, and gives independent travelers greater confidence in booking shorter stays focused on water sports, casino gaming or family‑friendly resorts.
Further south, George Town on Great Exuma serves as the jumping‑off point to some of the Bahamas’ most photographed seascapes. The surrounding Exuma Cays are known for shallow, electric‑blue waters, sandbars and cays that host everything from ultra‑luxury private islands to rustic beach shacks. American’s Miami–George Town service links that postcard geography directly to the United States, allowing travelers to reach destinations such as the famous swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto and private cay resorts with a single connection at Miami.
Miami’s Role as a Super Hub for Island Hopping
American’s network strategy in Miami positions the airport as an unrivaled springboard for island hopping across the Bahamas. With flights to multiple Bahamian islands departing throughout the day, Miami functions as a one‑stop connection point for travelers originating as far afield as the U.S. West Coast, Canada and the Midwest. A single ticket can take a passenger from cities such as Chicago, New York or Dallas to out‑island destinations that once required complex, multi‑carrier itineraries.
The airline has invested heavily in Miami to support that role. Beyond adding new routes, American is expanding premium lounges and customer facilities at the airport, aiming to streamline the connection experience for travelers headed to leisure destinations. For the Bahamas, the effect is to bring multiple islands within practical reach of a much larger slice of the North American market, not just residents of Florida and the Southeast.
Industry observers note that the Bahamas routes also complement American’s broader Caribbean and Latin American footprint. Many of the same travelers considering trips to Mexico’s beaches or Central American eco‑destinations are weighing the Bahamas as an alternative. A rich roster of nonstop options from Miami to Nassau, Freeport, George Town, Bimini and other islands gives the airline a strong hand in capturing that discretionary leisure demand.
What Travelers Can Expect on the New and Existing Routes
For passengers, the most tangible changes are in convenience and travel time. The Miami–Bimini route trims what was often a multi‑step journey involving ferries or small charters into a straightforward, under‑one‑hour flight on a mainline partner. Similarly, nonstop services from Miami to Freeport and George Town eliminate the need for Nassau transfers, which can add hours and complexity to a short holiday.
Onboard, travelers flying to Bimini can expect a regional jet experience that mirrors many of American’s domestic short‑haul services, including a small premium cabin, Wi‑Fi on select aircraft and standard carry‑on allowances. Freeport and George Town services, operated with larger mainline or regional aircraft depending on season and demand, offer a similar product, with early morning and midday departures designed to sync with inbound connections to Miami.
Customs and immigration procedures remain a consideration for travelers planning quick getaways. While the flight time to Bimini may rival a commute, U.S. passengers must still carry valid passports and comply with standard entry requirements for the Bahamas. Returning travelers benefit from Miami’s established infrastructure for processing high volumes of international passengers, a factor that has helped airlines like American add more near‑international routes from the hub.
Competitive Landscape and Future Growth Prospects
American’s latest expansion from Miami comes amid an increasingly competitive landscape in the wider Caribbean, where U.S. and regional carriers are racing to secure beach‑bound leisure traffic. Other airlines have recently added or expanded service to Bahamian airports, particularly Nassau, as traveler interest has surged. Within this context, securing the only U.S. nonstop flights to Bimini and maintaining strong positions in Freeport and George Town give American a clear differentiator.
Industry analysts expect that if demand remains strong, frequencies on some of the Miami–Bahamas routes could grow further in future seasons, particularly around holiday peaks and school vacation periods. The combination of short flight times, year‑round warm weather and a mix of high‑end and more accessible accommodations across the islands makes the Bahamas an attractive candidate for additional capacity.
For now, the launch of Miami–Bimini and the continued strength of nonstop flights to Freeport and George Town underscore how closely tied South Florida and the Bahamas have become. With American Airlines doubling down on its Miami hub and the Bahamas enjoying record tourism numbers, the air bridge across the Florida Straits is likely to remain one of the most dynamic short‑haul corridors in the region.