Gulfstream International Airlines was founded in 1988 by Thomas L. Cooper, a former captain for Eastern Airlines. Gulfstream began operating initially as an "on-demand" charter airline serving South Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. In 1990 Gulfstream was granted a permit to operate scheduled flights into six additional destinations in the Bahamas Islands, soon followed by routes from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas.
Gulfstream signed a code share agreement with United Airlines in 1994, and began flying new service routes between Tampa and Miami to Nassau. In 1995 Gulfstream retired the last of their Cessna aircraft and became an all-Turboprop operator flying 19-seat Beechcraft 1900s.
Gulfstream signed another Code Share Agreement with Continental Airlines in 1997, and began flying routes from cities across Florida to the Bahamas. Embraer Brasilia turbo-props were added to Gulfstream’s fleet in 2004 to increase capacity. Gulfstream International Airlines became a publically traded company (GIA), and added its first northern hub in Cleveland, Ohio.
Gulfstream International is one of the fastest growing regional air carriers in the United States, and is the second busiest airline in terms of arrival and departures at Miami International Airport. GIA presently serves 20 cities in Ohio, Florida and the Bahamas.
