The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

AFTER being evicted from the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) more than one year ago, Cat Island Air is "two to three weeks" away from being back in operation, its owner telling Tribune Business yesterday: "It's going to be bigger and better."

Speaking to this newspaper, Albert Rolle said that after being out of operation for a year-and-a-half, Cat Island Air was going to be back in operation "sooner rather than later".

Mr Rolle said: "Things are moving forward. We are still waiting on NAD. My attorney is working with their attorney. A lot of people don't actually know what happened. They were wrong for what they did. I am looking at the next two to three works or so, and I should be up and back in service. Things are going to get back to normal; it's going to come back sooner rather than later; and it's going to be bigger and better."

The airline, founded in 1987, offered flights to five islands - Abaco, the Berry Islands, Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador. It was evicted from the domestic terminal at LPIA, with Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) officials stating at the time that the eviction was due to non-payment of fees.

But Mr Rolle explained: "I was owing NAD some money, just like all the other operators. I pay NAD every dollar, and even overpaid them.

"We signed a new contract, and they wanted me to get a guarantee letter from the bank for $325,000 in 10 days. That's eight working days, which was impossible. I owe the bank millions of dollars, and it just couldn't happen. I tried but it just couldn't happen, and in 10 days they locked the door. I was out now for a year and six months. It never should have gotten to this point."

Mr Rolle said he expects to return to operation with his two 19-seater planes, and a 33-seater to complement the five seater he currently operates.

"I couldn't operate the big airplane because you need an office, and they have rules where you can't operate the big airplane commercially out of any FBO (fixed-base operator) like Executive or Odyssey; it has to be out of the main terminal. I had 40 people who worked for me, 14 of which were out of Cat Island. It's going to come back bigger and better," Mr Rolle told Tribune Business.