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Florida Air Cargo
IATA ICAO Callsign
FAS FLORIDA CARGO
Founded1994
Operating basesMiami-Opa Locka Executive Airport
Focus citiesNassau
Fleet size5
Key peopleSergio Alen (President and CEO)
Employees12

Florida Air Cargo is a cargo airline based at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) in the US State of Florida that conducts chartered freight flights to destinations throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Florida Air Cargo is the largest commercial US operator of the Douglas DC-3. [1]

History

Florida Air Cargo was established in 1994 operating on the business model of providing low-cost and on demand cargo flights from Florida to the Caribbean region, specifically The Bahamas. [2] The current President and CEO, Sergio Alen, came into control of Florida Air Cargo in 2012 after serving as director of maintenance for the company. As of 2024, the company has twelve full-time employees. [3]

During the beginning of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, Florida Air Cargo capitalized on a surge in E-commerce in The Bahamas by providing expedited deliveries of consumer goods from Miami to Nassau. Today, they average around 20 flights to Nassau per week. [4]

A Florida Air Cargo Douglas DC-3 (N15MA) preparing for takeoff from Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Destinations and Operations

Nassau is the primary destination for Florida Air Cargo’s services; these flights are carried out weekly between Tuesdays and Fridays. However, under part 135 flight rules, Florida Air Cargo is certified to fly to other destinations throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Florida Air Cargo also allows customers to charter an entire aircraft for their use, rather than combining freight from different customers into one flight. [5]

Fleet

Current Fleet

As of July 2024, Florida Air Cargo operates a fleet of five aircraft: [6]

Aircraft Range Payload Capacity Registrations and Notes [7]
3 Douglas DC-3s 1500 miles [8] 6000 lbs [9] N138FS. Roll Out: Jul 1943. Built as a C-47A.

N15MA. Roll Out: Dec 1943. Built as a C-47A.

N271SE. Roll Out: Jan 1945. Built as a C-47B / Dakota Mk.IV.

2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravans 1000 miles [10] 3500 lbs (Depending on configuration) [11] Regs: N701SE, N702SE

All three of Florida Air Cargo's DC-3s initially served with various air regiments during the Second World War. N138FS played an active role on D-Day, and N15MA was involved in the broader invasion of Normandy. [12]

Historical Fleet

Florida Air Cargo previously operated another Douglas DC-3 registered N123DZ until around 2015. [13] The company also operated several Beech 18 aircraft in the 90s and early 2000s. [14] [15]

Accidents

On February 2, 2000, a Beech 18S (registered N122V) leased to Florida Air Cargo ditched in the Atlantic Ocean east of the island of Bimini in The Bahamas after the left engine failed. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact. The pilot and a single passenger escaped the aircraft with only minor injuries and were subsequently rescued by a passing boat. [16]

References

  1. ^ Surette, Justin (2023-04-06). "Almost 80 Years Old On Average: Florida Air Cargo And Its Vintage Fleet". Simple Flying. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  2. ^ "Florida Air Cargo". Linkedin.
  3. ^ "About Us". Florida Air Cargo.
  4. ^ "Florida Air Cargo DC-3s". proplinerinfoexchange.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  5. ^ "Florida Air Cargo DC-3s". proplinerinfoexchange.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  6. ^ Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Retrieved 2024-06-29.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
  7. ^ "Florida Air Cargo - Where Douglas DC-3s Still Work for a Living". 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  8. ^ "DC-3 | History, Design & Specifications | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  9. ^ "DC-3 | History, Design & Specifications | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  10. ^ "Cessna Grand Caravan EX Turboprop | Textron Aviation". cessna.txtav.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  11. ^ "Cessna Grand Caravan EX Turboprop | Textron Aviation". cessna.txtav.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  12. ^ "Florida Air Cargo - Where Douglas DC-3s Still Work for a Living". 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  13. ^ "N123DZ". Aerial Visuals: Airframe Dossier.
  14. ^ "Aircraft Photo of N122V | Beech D18S | Florida Air Cargo | AirHistory.net #259450". AirHistory.net. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  15. ^ "Aircraft Photo of N967 | Beech E18S/Tri-Gear | Florida Air Cargo | AirHistory.net #288237". AirHistory.net. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  16. ^ "Crash of a Beechcraft D18S off Bimini | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.

Florida Air Cargo Website