At only 64 miles long, American Airlines' newly announced service from Miami (MIA) to Bimini (BIM) is the shortest flight in AA's network and one of the shortest international flights departing the U.S., period. 

Over the weekend, AA started selling fares on the short route to the westernmost chain of Bahamian islands – and popular cruise port – just off the east coast of South Florida. The islands with hotel accommodations are the northernmost two islands, where the Bimini airport sits. 

 

Miami to Bimini flight on the map, clocking in at just 64 miles.
Courtesy: Great Circle Mapper

 

These scheduled flights begin Saturday, Feb. 14 and will run to and from BIM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays through this spring. American subsidiary Envoy Air will operate the flight on an Embraer E-175 jets. The flight is subject to government approval at this point and cannot be found on Google Flights as of Monday morning. 

 

MIA-BIM airfare on American Airline's website

 

According to data from Cirium Diio, Silver Airways previously flew to BIM from Fort Lauderdale, ending service earlier this year when the airline went under. AA is taking up the mantle, connecting its massive Miami (MIA) hub to the islands a few times a week in peak season. The last major U.S. airline to service Bimini (BIM) was United who served the airport from FLL in 2012 and 2013. 

Tropic Ocean Airways currently flies Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to North Bimini (NSB), which is a seaplane base. That Tropic Ocean Airways flight (59 miles), Cape Air's 29-mile St. Thomas (STT) to the British Virgin Islands (EIS), and Kenmore Air's 20-mile flight from Friday Harbor, Washington (FRD) to Victoria, Canada (YYJ) are the only three international flights shorter than MIA-BIM. 

The 64-mile MIA-BIM flight is the shortest in all of American's network, besting Chicago (ORD) to Milwaukee (MKE) which clocks in at 67 miles. 

 

Bottom Line

American Airlines' new flight to the Bahamas is the shortest flight in the airline's network and one of the shortest international flights departing the U.S. 

The three-time-a-week service to Bimini (BIM), the westernmost chain of islands in the Bahamas, is the first from a major U.S. carrier in over a decade.