Work on the main runway at Nassau International Airport has been completed and runway 1432 is now ready to welcome the inaugural flight of Virgin Atlantic Airlines to The Bahamas on Tuesday afternoon.
On Monday, government officials inspected the newly completed runway, and visited the new VIP departure lounge, which were both refurbished at a cost of $36 million.
According to officials, this marks the first time that the 11,400 feet of runway has ever been refurbished.
Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin said repairing the runway was a priority of the government since coming to power.
She described the old runway as a disaster waiting to happen.
The Minister also noted that the completion of the runway is merely the completion of phase one of the overall airport upgrade project.
“Soon this airport will be re-named after the late Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling,” Minister Hanna-Martin said. “We anticipate that after this aspect has been completed we will now move into taxiway work, and ultimately terminal redevelopment.”
According to government officials, the runway will now safely accommodate all types and sizes of aircraft.
Also on hand for the inspection was Prime Minister Perry Christie, who praised the work of the contractors, Lagan Holdings, for doing what he described as wonderful work.
He said that with the completion of the new runway, there is no doubt in his mind that The Bahamas can boast having the best runway in the entire Caribbean.
Prime Minister Christie said officials from the Airport Authority approached him during his first month in office about having runway 1432 repaired.
“It frightened the devil out of me, but it propelled us into reviewing our priorities of taking decisions that resulted in the work [being completed],” Mr. Christie said.
Officials said as a result of the completion of the work, an additional 3,000 feet of runway that has been closed for the last five years will be reopened.
Mr. Christie said that his government is committed not just to safety, but also to aesthesis.
He also assured that there will be a comprehensive approach to airport development.
“It is not going to be a one, two or three year development, but a continuous development because the airport is never complete,” Mr. Christie said. ” When the landscaping is complete this is really going to put a frame on the this runway work, and Nassau International Airport.”
He added, “Bahamians will have not just new comfort levels, but most certainly they will know with pride that now having addressed this here in New Providence, we are going onto Eleuthera, Exuma, and we are going onto Abaco,”
By: , The Bahama Journal
