Florida's Beloved Airline With Routes To Dazzling Caribbean Islands Has Shut Down For Good

Sometimes, hopping on a plane is exciting. It means you're headed to a new adventure, and the anticipation can be intoxicating. Other times, flying can be a drag. Sure, there are hacks to make flying more comfortable, but even those can't make long hours spent packed like sardines in tiny spaces bearable. All is fair in love and travel, and sometimes, hitching a ride on an airplane is just par for the course. That is, until bookable private jets became a mainstream thing. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and Florida-based Verijet is the latest charter airline to reach its final chapter.

What was hailed as one of the buzziest businesses to hit the aviation industry, the boutique charter carrier is officially closing its doors after it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October, 2025. Originally from Vero Beach, the company quickly added routes to dazzling Caribbean islands like the Bahamas and Cayman Islands onto its destinations list. There were whisperings of some customer complaints, but once founder Richard Kane passed suddenly in September, everything fell apart rather rapidly. While yet another air carrier bites the dust, travelers are left to look elsewhere to kick off their tropical island vacation.

There are still quite a few charter carriers that fly direct from South Florida to the Caribbean, but honestly, the route is so short it feels a little unnecessary. The closest Caribbean island to Florida is the Bahamas' Bimini – a breathtaking island full of water sports – which is just 60 miles away. If you're wanting a slice of luxury similar to the experience with Verijet, you can always charter a private boat, but a $100 ferry will also take you there quickly — in about two hours. If you prefer something a bit more relaxed, a sailboat is also an option. Either way, avoiding a trip to Miami International Airport (one of the worst airports in America for TSA wait times) is certainly worth the ride. 

If time is of the essence, though, hopping on a plane is definitely the fastest route (not including time spent at the airport, of course). Flights from Miami to Bimini net out at about 35 minutes, while flights to the Cayman Islands take a quick hour and a half. The news that Verijet is shutting down for good is definitely a disappointing one — especially when it was anticipated to do big things — but perhaps it'll just force luxury travelers to think outside the box. For the rest of us, we'll stick to our quick commercial airline route, even if the seat space is a bit abysmal.