BLOCK ISLAND, R.I.—By his estimate, Bill Bendokas has flown at least a half-million passengers during his time at New England Airlines, the small, regional carrier he founded in 1970 to connect this pear-shaped island with points along the East Coast. And that isn’t factoring in the countless prescriptions he has transported (the island lacks a pharmacy) or boxes of auto parts or even the occasional farm animal.

These days, it sometimes seems that Mr. Bendokas is in an altogether different business, one that involves the careful shipping of steaming, pint-sized containers of General Tso’s chicken, moo shu pork and shrimp lo mein.

Mr. Bendokas is Block Island’s Chinese-food delivery guy.

And sushi delivery guy. And pizza delivery guy. You name the category of food and there’s a good chance the jovial pilot has brought it aboard one of his seven planes, which range in size from six to 10 seats. The food, of course, is kept in cargo.

Mr. Bendokas is hardly a restaurateur or chef himself: The eateries on the mainland, including at least two Chinese restaurants, take the orders directly from customers, do the cooking and then deliver the food to New England Airlines’ location in Westerly, R.I., in time for the next scheduled flight to Block Island.