The 1980s
Other than the crash in 1985 of a Beechcraft that carried Samantha Smith, the airline did not receive much bad publicity outside New England after the accident. This was partly because commuter air carriers are generally known only around the communities they serve. Bar Harbor Airlines decided to make Boston's Logan International Airport its only permanent base, apart from the Bar Harbor airport hub. Also during this decade, the airline bought some Convair 600, CASA C-212 Aviocar, Saab 340, Beechcraft 1900, and ATR 42 turboprop aircraft, putting them into service immediately. Bar Harbor began to operate flights under a code-share agreement with Eastern Air Lines, and later with Continental Airlines.
In April 1987, Texas Air Corporation purchased 50% of Bar Harbor Airlines, through a transfer of its ownership of Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA) to Bar Harbor. Texas Air had acquired PBA through its merger with People Express, and already owned Eastern Airlines and Continental Airlines. At the time, Provincetown-Boston (PBA) was operating as Continental Express, and Bar Harbor as Eastern Express. Texas Air continued to operate the consolidated PBA/Bar Harbor as a commuter carrier for both Continental and Eastern, with hub operations at Boston, New York/LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Tampa and Miami.
In 1989 Bar Harbor moved its headquarters to Houston, Texas from Maine after the state refused to renew a multi-million dollar tax break.
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