Pressed by growing demands that are likely to increase with the advent of more anchor projects in the Family Islands, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation on Monday announced the approval of seven private air charter companies to provide additional service throughout the country.
The companies ﾖ Western Air, Cat Island Air, Sky Bahamas, Pineapple Air, Southern Air, Regional Air and Seair Limited ﾖ were granted permission for extended scheduled services to islands from Grand Bahama and Abaco to Crooked Island and Acklins.
The intent, according to Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin, is to create a well-regulated air transport system that will support and help increase economic growth throughout the country and connect communities throughout the archipelago.
Minister Hanna-Martin warned air hackers to become certified and called the development a paradigm shift in aviation for two reasons.
“Firstly, with the projected growth in tourism coupled with the establishment of anchor projects in our Family Islands, the local aviation industry will play a pivotal role in linking our Family Islands through a properly regulated, efficient, well-run system.” Minister Hanna-Martin said.
“Secondly, we believe this category of the aviation industry will have a tremendous positive financial impact on our small hotel operators in the Family Islands and will provide the flying public with the flexibility of traveling to and from Family Island destinations at times that are convenient to them.”
The minister said that in certifying these companies for scheduled service, the Flight Standards Inspectorate ensured that all of the necessary safety requirements were complied with in accordance with the Bahamas Air Safety regulations, and that the Flight Standards Inspectorate maintains a required audit schedule for each company that is conducted on a year-round basis.
Minister Hanna-Martin also announced that the Stella Maris International Airport in north Long Island is now open following the completion of rehabilitative works. Local contractors, Rowdy Boys, carried out the work at a cost of $462,000.
The airport was forced to close for renovations in late February because of an unsafe runway.
The minister explained that the airport is important to the north Long Island community.
“The importance to the people of north Long Island is that there is a number of resorts there [that] had depended upon international [air] traffic, in particular from the United States,” Minister Hanna-Martin said. “The closure of that airport had created some disruption to that economy, so we are happy that we were able to reopen that.”
The rehabilitative work to the runway included the lengthening of the runway from 3,700 feet to 4,000 feet and extending the width of the runway from 65 feet to 75 feet. The runwayﾒs surface now has a more durable mixture of sand seal double pea rock, according to officials.
The minister said that the airport from now can only accommodate Beechcraft (various models), Cessna (various models) and the Britten Norman Islander, meaning that none of Bahamasairﾒs fleet can service the airport.
The minister also pointed out that Ministry of Works officials are now in the process of assessing whether the newly renovated runway could be further lengthened and expanded to accommodate larger aircraft.
“I think that the concern of most residents is that the runway is only able to accommodate certain size aircraft,” she said. “We are in discussion with Bahamasair and the Ministry of Works to see whether that runway can be extended. It is anticipated a decision will be made on this shortly.”
Transport officials also said that after investing almost half a million dollars into the airport, the government is in the process of ensuring that the transfer of ownership of the airport from its private owners to the Bahamian government happens.
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
