The chairman of Bahamasair’s board Basil Sands made the announcement, affirming Mr. Woods’ experience, technical expertise and diverse background in maintenance and flight operations.
The appointment became effective on July 1.
“His return to Bahamasair has resulted in substantial reduction in maintenance costs and an improvement in staff productivity and aircraft utilization within the flight operations department,” a statement from Mr. Sands said.
“Mr. Woods has introduced many bold initiatives in the Customer Service Department to improve the level of quality service for the internal and external customer.”
Mr. Woods assumed the position of acting general manager earlier this year when former managing director Paul Major’s contract expired. Mr. Major is now the co-chair of the Southwest Joint Task Force designed to oversee the creation of a new cargo port terminal based in the Ministry of Energy and Environment.
Mr. Woods spent the majority of his tenure at Bahamasair in the maintenance and engineering department in various managerial positions with his last post being that of Deputy General Manager of Operations.
Mr. Woods, a qualified aircraft engineer, worked with Bahamasair from June 1973 until November 1992 becoming director of operations in August 1987 and executive director of maintenance and engineering in 1990.
After his departure from the airline, Mr. Woods returned years later.
Now entrenched in the key position, Mr. Woods will be expected to help drive the future of the airline which is targeted for transformation and privatization.
Controversy has clouded Mr. Woods’ past with the national flag carrier. He was cited in the Commission of Inquiry in 1995, with commissioners recommending that “investigations should be instituted into the conduct of Mr. Woods in relation to alleged kickbacks and improper use of [Bahamasair’s] resources.”
When questioned about the use of Bahamasair maintenance personnel on one occasion for assisting with construction work on his own building he was erecting in Nassau, Mr. Woods admitted that he had done this and that it was an “improper way of using Bahamasair’s personnel.”
The Commission also determined that Mr. Woods’ slapping of another employee and other unchallenged instances of friction and strained relations between the two “show his lack of restraint and an unfortunate management style.”
“He was a senior manager in the company when he utilized company resources for his own personal endeavors on company time and at no cost to himself. The unethical stance manifested in these acts, which he admitted, is mitigated only in small degree by his admission several years later that he had done so and that such conduct was ‘improper’,” the Commission’s report said.
But in this new era, Bahamasair’s board expects to thoroughly utilize Mr. Woods’ expertise to map out a strategic plan for the airline’s future operations.
The aviation veteran holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from Florida International Community and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Nova University.
Mr. Sands indicated that the board, management and staff wished him every continued success in his new appointment.
Bahamasair executives are in crucial talks with the Airport Airline and Allied Workers Union which represents line staff. The government had originally proposed a 5 percent pay cut for each employee, but later pulled that proposal after a round of industrial action appeared to be on the brink of intensifying about six weeks ago.
That was substituted with a new salary offer of a $500 lump sum each year for the first three years of the contract. Family Island employees were being offered a $300 lump sum each year for the first three years.
The government was also offering no increments during that period, but increments would be paid in the last two years of the contract if they are earned by the employees. However, the union wants an 8 percent salary increase for each employee during the first year of the contract and increments each year.
The point is to avoid any significant increase in expenditure for the airline which continues to face financial challenges as a result of high fuel costs and stiff competition from low cost carriers.
By: Tameka Lundy, The Bahama Journal
