Missionary Flights International

What Missionary Flights International does

Missionary Flights International (MFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian aviation ministry founded in 1964 and headquartered at Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida. The organization provides scheduled passenger and cargo transportation for affiliated evangelical missionaries serving in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas, operating two to four flights weekly using a distinctive fleet of turbine-retrofitted DC-3 aircraft supplemented by a Cessna 310 for smaller specialty and emergency missions. MFI also operates a Hospitality Park near its hangar offering RV spaces, cottages, and a Hospitality Center for missionaries, volunteers, and short-term mission teams, and runs an Aviation Mechanic Internship Program for high-school students.

The business model is donation-funded: MFI sustains operations through contributions from individuals, companies, and churches, with all flight and support services provided free of charge to affiliated missionaries. Mission Payments and Recurring Donations platforms accept online giving, and staff — including pilots — typically raise their own salaries through deputation to churches and supporters. The organization serves over 600 affiliated missionary groups and has built operational and disaster-relief credibility through responses to the 2010 Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, coordinating with partners including Mission Aviation Fellowship, MMS Aviation, Priority Air Charter, and the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency. MFI leadership comprises President Joe Karabensh, Vice President Larry Campbell, and a Board of Directors.

Name

Missionary Flights International

Legal name

Missionary Flights International

Website

https://missionaryflights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Missionary Flights International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian aviation ministry, founded in 1964 and based in Fort Pierce, Florida, that provides free passenger and cargo flights for over 600 affiliated evangelical missionaries serving in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas using a turbine DC-3 fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Missionary Aviation Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian / Relief Airlift Operators (TLADAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian, Relief & Government Cargo Airlift (THABAEAI)

Keywords

• Missionary aviation services
• Caribbean cargo transport
• Humanitarian flight services
• Nonprofit air transportation
• Religious mission logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Pierce

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MFI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization sustained by generous gifts from individuals, companies, and churches. All donations support the mission of transporting missionaries and supplies to Haiti, Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
2. Missionary Support Raising: MFI pilots raise their salaries through personal support, similar to missionary deputation. Staff positions are supported employee positions where individuals are responsible for raising their own missionary support funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missionary Flights International (MFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian aviation ministry that provides scheduled passenger and cargo air transportation services for affiliated missionaries traveling to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. The organization operates a fleet of turbine DC-3 aircraft flying 2-4 times per week, supplemented by a Cessna 310 for specialty and emergency missions, transporting missionaries, humanitarian supplies, and equipment to Caribbean field locations.

Product overview

Missionary Flights International (MFI) operates as a non-profit missionary aviation organization offering a single integrated service portfolio centered on air transportation for Christian missionaries. The core offering is scheduled passenger and cargo flights using a fleet of turbine DC-3 aircraft (2-4 flights weekly) supplemented by a Cessna 310 for specialty missions. Supporting services include Hospitality Park (RV spaces, cottages, and a hospitality center for missionaries and volunteers), an Aviation Mechanic Internship Program for high school students, mission payment processing, and a recurring donations platform. MFI has been 'Standing in the Gap' since 1964, serving over 600 affiliated missionary groups across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Missionary Air Transportation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 600 affiliated missionary groups across three Caribbean nations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) - BahamasmajorOthers · 1 March 2020MFI received official approval from NEMA in the Bahamas to conduct disaster relief flights following Hurricane Dorian. This authorization allowed MFI to fly goods to Grand Bahama and Abacos duty-free.
• Missionary Maintenance Services (MMS Aviation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2019MMS Aviation from Coshocton, Ohio provides hands-on training for missionary pilots and mechanics through their 30-month apprenticeship program. Their Rapid Response team assisted MFI during Hurricane Dorian relief, performing hot section inspections, engine maintenance, and routine maintenance on DC-3 aircraft. Chris Jutte, Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor, led the team.
• Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019MAF sent a Disaster Response team to assist with flight logistics during Hurricane Dorian relief. While MFI flies 2-4 flights weekly, the Bahamas response required 2-4 flights daily. MAF team assisted in planning flights, loading planes, acquiring government documents, and connecting MFI with new ministries on the ground. Sam Baguma from MAF Africa provided logistical expertise.
• Priority Air ChartermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Priority Air Charter in Kidron, Ohio sent a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan to assist MFI in flying cargo and passengers in the Bahamas. Their team flew approximately 2 flights daily between Fort Pierce and Scotland Cay during the month-long disaster response.
• Al's Family Farms / Jeff SchornerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Jeff Schorner, owner of Al's Family Farms and church member, coordinated donation of citrus cartons (lime boxes) for repacking relief supplies during Hurricane Dorian relief. Over 7,000 boxes were delivered, enabling transport of over 600,000 pounds of relief supplies.
• Egan Packing / Greg NelsonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Greg Nelson at Egan Pning in Fellsmere, FL agreed to allow citrus cartons to be used for relief supply packing. Wonderful Fruit also approved the use of their cartons.
• Samaritan's PursemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Samaritan's Purse requested a survey team be flown to Port-au-Prince the day after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. MFI was among the first to respond, conducting the first relief flight on January 13, 2010.
• Baptist Haiti Mission (BHM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010BHM volunteered trucks and a crew to provide transportation and handling for MFI's load and passengers during the 2010 Haiti earthquake relief effort.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JAARS: JAARS (affiliated with Wycliffe Bible Translators) provides mission aviation, technical, and logistics support to translation and humanitarian projects, primarily in remote regions. It is directly comparable because both organizations operate under a faith-based, donation-funded model that supplies air transportation, training, and maintenance support to mission work in hard-to-reach areas.
• Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF): MAF is the largest mission-aviation organization globally, operating a worldwide fleet of aircraft to serve missionaries and isolated communities. It is directly comparable because MFI and MAF already partner operationally (MAF's Disaster Response team supported MFI's Hurricane Dorian relief), both use donated aircraft and pilot-support fundraising models, and both serve isolated Christian/Humanitarian communities.
• Samaritan Aviation: Samaritan Aviation operates floatplane-based emergency medical and relief flights in Papua New Guinea's remote regions. It is directly comparable as a small, donation-funded mission aviation operator serving an isolated region with limited road access — a similar operating profile to MFI's Caribbean missionary airlift.
• AirServ International / Adventist World Aviation: Adventist World Aviation (AWA) operates mission aviation across Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific under a faith-based nonprofit model. It is directly comparable because both run small, donation-supported fleets into isolated mission fields and rely on pilot fund-raising and recurring donor relationships for sustainability.
• Wings of Hope: Wings of Hope is a humanitarian aviation nonprofit that operates and partners on aircraft serving medical, disaster, and development missions in the developing world. It is directly comparable because both organizations are nonprofit, donation-funded, mission-driven aviation providers serving humanitarian and community-development beneficiaries in underserved regions.

Regional players

• Bahamasair: Bahamasair is the flag carrier of the Bahamas, operating scheduled inter-island and Caribbean passenger service. It serves a comparable passenger base in one of MFI's three countries and competes for island-connecting travel, though it does not serve the missionary/cargo niche.

Others

• Priority Air Charter: Priority Air Charter is a charter operator that sent a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan to support MFI's Bahamas hurricane relief operations. It is comparable as an air-capacity partner serving the same Caribbean region, though its business model is for-profit commercial charter rather than faith-based mission aviation.

Emerging players

• Samaritan's Purse: Samaritan's Purse is a faith-based relief organization that commissioned an MFI survey flight the day after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. It is a peer in the sense that both operate within Christian humanitarian aviation/disaster response, but Samaritan's Purse is a much broader NGO with its own aviation assets, while MFI is aviation-pure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/missionaryflights
• Xx.com/mfi_us
• Facebookfacebook.com/MissionaryFlights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missionaryflights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missionary Flights International