Amerijet founder David Bassett dies

David Bassett, founder of Amerijet International Airlines and a longtime pioneer in the air cargo sector, died today, the company announced. Bassett, who was 77, founded Amerijet in 1974 and led the airline for more than four decades, growing it from a single-aircraft air taxi operation into an international cargo carrier serving the Caribbean, Central America and South America. [caption id="attachment_57295871" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] (Courtesy/Amerijet)[/caption] In Amerijet’s early years, Bassett piloted flights while building the business. The company began as Professional Charter Services, operating a leased Cessna 401 between South Florida and the Bahamas. By 1976, the operation transitioned to a dedicated freight carrier supporting the growth of overnight courier networks. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Amerijet expanded rapidly, flying contract operations for major express companies including Purolator, FedEx, UPS, DHL and Airborne Express. Bassett acquired full ownership of the company in 1982. Amerijet continued expanding its fleet and network throughout the 1980s and established its primary hub at Miami International Airport in 1987. From Miami, the airline built a cargo network linking the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America — markets that remain central to Amerijet’s operations today. Bassett’s aviation career began long before founding Amerijet. As a young man he spent part of his early life in Guyana, where his family served as missionaries. There he learned to fly and helped repair aircraft operating from remote jungle airstrips. He later joined the U.S. Air Force before returning to South Florida to pursue an aviation business. Bassett is survived by his wife, Kandee, and three daughters. Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in 2026, the next of which is <a class="Hyperlink SCXW113043295 BCX0" style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://cargofactsevents.com/asia/?utm_campaign=22235567-CF%20Asia%202026&utm_source=Editorial&utm_medium=article%20event%20footer&utm_term=CF%20website&utm_content=Learn%20More&utm_source=Weekly+Update+-+Cargo+Facts&utm_campaign=fbe548904b-CF+Update_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_621baa6827-fbe548904b-40083601&mc_cid=fbe548904b&mc_eid=adbe8bb0b4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Cargo Facts Asia on March 23-25. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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