Air Marshall Islands (AMI) is an airline based in Majuro, Marshall Islands, with flights to and from Micronesia and the Pacific Islands. Founded in 1979 as an air charter service, AMI has grown to be the largest airline in Micronesia.
AMI was initially established in 1979 to provide air charter services to the Marshall Islands. At the time, the airline was known as Air Micronesia and it operated a fleet of small single-engine aircraft. The airline later changed its name to Air Marshall Islands and rebranded itself as a regional carrier.
The airline began commercial services in 1981 and by the mid-80s had established itself as the leading carrier in the region. In 1985, AMI acquired its first jet aircraft, a Boeing 737-200, and began offering flights between the Marshall Islands and Guam. The airline continued to expand its network and by 1989 had added a second Boeing 737-200 to its fleet.
AMI began to expand its international network in the early 1990s. The airline opened routes to destinations in Australia and Hawaii, as well as to Japan and the United States. In 1995, AMI became a member of the SkyTeam alliance and began offering flights to Europe and the Middle East.
The airline continued to grow throughout the 1990s and early 2000s and by the mid-2000s had established itself as the leading airline in Micronesia. In 2008, AMI acquired its first Airbus A320 aircraft and began offering flights to destinations in Asia and the Pacific.
AMI has experienced several significant milestones in its history. In 2000, the airline opened a new maintenance and repair facility at Majuro International Airport. In 2011, AMI and the Marshall Islands government signed a joint venture agreement that allowed the airline to expand its operations. In 2012, the airline launched its first domestic route, connecting Majuro to the outer islands of the Marshall Islands.
AMI has had its share of incidents over the years. In 2009, one of its aircraft was involved in an accident on approach to Chuuk International Airport in Micronesia. The incident resulted in the death of all eight passengers and crew on board and led to an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration. In 2012, the airline was involved in another incident when one of its aircraft was damaged in a runway excursion at Majuro International Airport.
Despite these incidents, AMI has continued to expand and today operates a fleet of eight aircraft consisting of Boeing 737-200s, Airbus A320s, and ATR-42s. The airline offers flights to destinations in the Pacific, Asia, the United States, and Europe, making it the largest airline in Micronesia.
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