CHALK’S OCEAN AIRWAYS: 704 S. W. 34th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States; Phone (800) 414-2557; Http://www. chalksoceanairways. com; Code OP; Year Founded 1999. On
Wednesday, February 10, 1999, Pan Am Air Bridge files for Chapter XII bankruptcy protection with the U. S. Bankruptcy Court at Dallas, Texas, and suspends service next day. On February 12, the court reaches an agreement with Gulfstream International Airlines to resume service to Bimini on a temporary basis, effective February 26, as the historic carrier attempts to reorganize under the protection of the bankruptcy laws.
The U. S. Bankruptcy Court at Dallas, on February 24, requests that Gulfstream, also, continue to operate Paradise Island Airways as it, too, reorganizes under the protection of the bankruptcy laws.
GIA’s President Cooper indicates that the historic airlines will be preserved and that they will resume 12 daily Grumman amphibian round-trips on February 26 from Miami to Bimini and Paradise Island and from Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini, Paradise Island, and Walker’s Cay. While a final decision on the future of Pan Am Air Bridge is made, its planes, like those of Paradise Islands Airways, are repainted in the colors of Chalk’s International Airlines (2).
As Chalk’s International Airlines (2), PIA and PAAB continue and expand daily services as of February 26.
In August, the seaplane operation is purchased out of bankruptcy by South Florida businessman and former Eastern Air Lines pilot James Confalone for $925,000. A holding company, Flying Boat, Inc., is established under Chairperson Patricia Long to provide management and recapitalization, and William “Bill” Jones is named airline president. Reclaiming for the carrier the title of world’s oldest continuously operated scheduled air carrier, Confalone renames the venture in honor of founder Arthur B. Chalk and financier Ocean Bank. Work begins to upgrade and modernize the Albatross and Mallard fleet and flying, temporarily halted, is resumed to, from, and between Watson Island at Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Bimini, and Walker’s Cay.
With the airstrip on Paradise Island fortuitously closed in September, Confalone now approaches Sun International, owner of the Atlantis resort on the island and offers a direct seaplane service to replace the 45-min. taxi ride now the only way to the resort from Nassau. Mallard service to Atlantis is inaugurated on December 17.
Due to the changing ownership and financial situation, customer boardings for the variously named carrier over the year fall 12.7% to 29,000.
At the beginning of March 2000, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 is acquired for charters from Ft. Lauderdale to Walker’s Cay and Great Harbour.
On May 24, Chalk’s opens a site on the World Wide Web and its summer schedule with an increased number of flights begins on June 1.
When a new seaplane terminal opens at Freeport in the Bahamas, Chalk’s initiates thrice-daily Mallard flights to the resort from Ft. Lauderdale in December.
World History
