Member of Parliament (MP) for the island Larry Cartwright said the residents have formed a task force that will take all steps necessary to get government officials to respond to their cries for a fully operational airport.
“The residents are up in arms,” Mr Cartwright said. “The community has formed a Long Island Task Force to approach the government about this and they are trying to (make) some meaningful resolutions. The consensus is that if they can’t get a response from the government they may have to come into Nassau and demonstrate in Rawson Square.”
Mr Cartwright explained that even though the airport has reopened after its closure for some major repairs back in February, workers on the island are still suffering from a drained economy, as only selected airplanes are allowed to fly in.
The privately owned airport was at the centre of talks in March after it was considered unsafe and was ordered closed. Residents and workers on the island said the 39-year-old airstrip had not been repaved nor upgraded since it was constructed. The Stella Maris Airport suffered from massive flooding, huge cracks and the loss of tar on the strip, often being described as extremely hazardous.
But the government’s decision to close the airport for repairs was met with great controversy. Many feared that their means of making ends meet would be greatly impacted as tourists could not fly directly into the settlement and residents were forced to travel 40 miles to use the Deadman’s Cay Airport.
The $461,020 job has since been completed with a resurfaced taxiway and apron areas to facilitate drainage, reconstructed runway, and reinstated runway markings. The Stella Maris Airport reopened in July as a government-owned entity in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation regulations and standards, but with crippling restrictions.
“The airport is only open to any aircraft having under 16 seats,” Mr Cartwright said. “But no commuter airlines have licences to fly in because the government is saying the terminal is too close to the runway. Sky Airlines has a licence to fly in there but they have a 30-seater so they can’t come. This means that people still have to travel to Deadman’s Cay to get on Bahamasair and other commuter planes or hire a small charter plane and that would be very expensive.”
The island’s task force, he saidm is constantly devising plans to get the Stella Maris Airport fully up and running as some residents are still fighting the economic downfall.
“The bonefish guys, the taxi drivers and other people who are relying on this means of resource are just left with their hands in the air,” he said. “The income has been coming very slow for these people since the airport first closed.”
By: IANTHIA SMITH, The Nassau Guardian
