Flying Boats at Dinner Key: When Miami Was the Gateway to the Americas

Miami's role as the gateway to Latin America started in the air, and on the water.

Pan Am comes to Miami

Pan American Airways began international service from Florida in the late 1920s, flying mail and passengers to Cuba. Miami's location made it the natural base for routes into the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The flying boats

Before long runways were common in the region, Pan Am relied on large seaplanes called flying boats, which could land on harbors and bays. In the early 1930s the airline built a seaplane base at Dinner Key in Coconut Grove, on Biscayne Bay. Its famous "Clipper" aircraft took off from the bay for destinations across the Americas.

An Art Deco terminal

The Dinner Key terminal, completed in the 1930s, was a sleek Art Deco building that drew crowds of spectators who came to watch the planes. It became a symbol of modern air travel.

After the flying boats

As land planes and airports improved, flying boats faded. Pan Am moved operations to what became Miami International Airport. The Dinner Key terminal building was repurposed and became Miami City Hall in the 1950s, a role it still fills.

A lasting gateway

Pan Am's routes helped establish Miami as the hub between the United States and Latin America, a role that shapes the city's economy, culture and airport today. Groups arriving at MIA from across the hemisphere are following the flight path Pan Am pioneered.

The age of the Clippers

Pan Am named its flying boats "Clippers," after the fast sailing ships of the 19th century. These aircraft offered passengers comfortable cabins and dining service, a glamorous experience in the 1930s. Miami became one of the busiest seaplane bases in the world.

Charles Lindbergh and pioneering flights

Aviator Charles Lindbergh worked with Pan Am as a technical adviser and flew survey and inaugural flights on routes in the Caribbean and Latin America. His involvement helped publicize the airline and its expanding network.

From airline hub to global airport

After World War II, Miami International Airport grew rapidly, becoming a major gateway for passengers and cargo between the United States and Latin America. Pan Am remained a major presence in Miami until the airline ceased operations in 1991.

Dinner Key today

Dinner Key is now home to Miami City Hall, marinas and waterfront parks. Visitors can stroll the bayfront where Clippers once took off and imagine the roar of engines over Biscayne Bay.