SANFORD, Fla. — It’s been nearly six months since Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a category 5 hurricane, and as they recover and tourists return, a Central Florida business is bouncing back, as well.
- Air Unlimited flies scheduled flights to the Bahamas
- After Dorian, the company flew relief missions
- Company says Bahamas needs volunteers to help with recovery
Sanford-based Air Unlimited is seeing more travelers, demand increasing their scheduled flight frequency from one or two times per week to five in April.
"A lot of our revenue was from the islands. Our planes weren't flying as often," said Mark Neubauer, Air Unlimited co-founder and partner. "(More flights will) help bring more people back into the islands that are actually beginning to come in as tourists and not just as relief workers."
A New Focus
Forty years ago, Neubauer got his pilot's license. His father was a combat pilot in Vietnam and Korea, so he dreamed of following in his father's footsteps and taking to the skies.
But, instead he spent most of his life working as a real estate developer, building homes in Central Florida.
That changed in 2008, when Neubauer and fellow developer, Charles “Chick” Gregg, both retired and decided to follow their aviation dreams, opening up Air Unlimited and ferrying passengers to the Bahamas.
It was a special place for Neubauer, who bought a property in Hopetown, located in Elbow Key, and often brought his entire family there to vacation.
“It’s just not tainted by the commercialization you’d see in other areas … this is the way you’d like to see the planet, in its natural state," he said.
But all that changed in September 2019, when Hurricane Dorian churned and barreled straight towards the idyllic paradise.
“I couldn’t imagine. It’s like taking a dart and throwing it at a board. How is it ever going to hit our property? Our area? Affect our business? We had no idea it would be so catastrophic," he recalled.
Neubauer's property was leveled and his business took a hit. But, as tourism to the islands dipped, Air Unlimited switched focus to relief.
Nearly overnight their hangar on Centerline Lane transformed into a substation for supplies, as the airline began frequent relief flights to the islands.
In the months which followed, the rebuild process for the Bahamas chugged on. More recently, hotels and restaurants have reopened, welcoming back tourists. This month, airlines like American have relaunched daily flight services to Grand Bahama.
And according to Neubauer, who has seen the devastation firsthand, the relief need has shifted — from goods to manpower.
“The biggest challenge is finding skilled laborers. So a lot of great relief organizations are over there, lot of wonderful volunteers. And we’re glad we’re playing a small part in bringing a lot of those relief workers in and out of the islands," he said.
But even minor improvements in Bahamian tourism greatly impacts the local airline, which plans to launch service in March to Eleuthera, an island untouched by the hurricane.
Scheduled Flights Returning
They are also upping their scheduled services, often transporting passengers like Denise McCauley from Ocala.
On Tuesday, McCauley returned from her fourth post-Dorian trip, checking on her personal home in Green Turtle Cay which she rents out.
“I went over to do a final assessment of needed repairs to get the house back up and running to welcome visitors back again," she said. “I was there for four days, I didn’t lose power the whole time I was there. It's been a disaster, it’s still a disaster, but we’re in full recovery mode."
In the meantime, Air Unlimited continues to collect various goods, conduct weekly relief flights and raise money; more than $55,000 to help the Abacos.
They are also offering up reduced airfare for volunteers and non-profits headed to the Bahamas. You can contact them at: 1-407-585-4300 and info@flyairunlimited.com.
“It’s just the right thing to do. I ever underestimate the power of the human spirit," said Neubauer. "They rely on tourism for their economy, so if you can go there and have a great time, you're also helping someone else in need. And when they recover, we will all be in a much better position."