The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama’s Chamber of Commerce president says “it’s absolutely critical we know what the heck is happening” with the airport redevelopment if Freeport is to position itself as a “city on the move”.

James Carey, speaking out amid growing uncertainty and anxiety over the timing and fate of Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment, told Tribune Business that “nothing of record” has materialised despite repeated hints by Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, that an announcement/signing or groundbreaking is imminent.

“I think it’s absolutely critical that we know what the heck is happening with the airport,” the GB Chamber chief said. “The originally-promised announcement was from March of last year. There’s been some back and forth with the Manchester Airport Group, so I don’t know where it’s at right now.

“It’s critically important for Freeport it gets going. We can survive with the airport as is. If you look at the airports throughout the islands, they’re in the same dismal condition. But if we are promoting ourselves as a city on the move we have to show we at least have an improved gateway and airport of stature.”

Pointing to the lack of airlift into Grand Bahama, which makes growing stopover visitor numbers “incredibly difficult”, Mr Carey added: “We don’t get the available seats because the airlines are not coming. I personally had to travel recently, and to get to Florida I had to go through Nassau because no direct seats were available.”

“That’s what we’re dealing with right now. That also has something to do with the sale of the Grand Lucayan. If the Grand Lucayan gets going, and some of the other projects, it’s going to be even worse.”

Mr Cooper did not seek Tribune Business messages seeking comment. While Latrae Rahming, the Prime Minister’s communications director, confirmed that this newspaper’s inquiry had been received and hinted that a response may be forthcoming, none was received before press time.

Tribune Business reported yesterday that the Government may be poised to approve the $200m Grand Bahama International Airport transformation project possibly as early as this week. It was suggested that the project may be on the Cabinet’s agenda for discussion and approval today, having been “ready to go” since fall 2023, only to suffer a series of delays and adjustments since.

Magnus Alnebeck, Pelican Bay’s general manager, said proceeding with the airport overhaul will likely “make it easier” for the Government to find the right purchaser for the Grand Lucayan given that any investor would want to see progress on constructing an airport gateway able to efficiently handle the number of guests the resort hopes to attract.

Reiterating that a quality tourism product, rather than a nice airport, drives airlift, he nevertheless added that it was vital for Grand Bahama’s main stopover gateway to be transformed now given that an improved facility will be needed to handle future increases in passenger numbers.

“It’s obviously a chicken and egg situation, and it would be easier for the Government to finalise whatever’s going to happen with the Grand Lucayan if they get something going at the airport,” Mr Alnebeck said. “I think that will show to a potential buyer that there are things happening and it will definitely make it easier if the airport is started.”

He added that the airport project is “all for the future”, and the revival of the Grand Lucayan and Grand Bahama’s wider tourism product through projects such as Weller Development’s $250m Six Senses-branded resort, as the present facility is sufficient to accommodate existing demand.

“The reality is that we don’t have the most airlift,” the Pelican Bay chief told Tribune Business. “I think we are number five or six in The Bahamas now when it comes to airlift. That’s the sad situation in Freeport. We don’t have the product that drives the airlift at the moment.

“It’s all for the future should the Grand Lucayan get sold or get redeveloped. Then we have a problem with the airlift that’s needed to keep that place going. A lot of people think having a nice airport gets you the airlift. That’s not how it works. We need the airport to accommodate the demand. It’s the hotel and tourism product that drives the airlift.

“We need the airport to accommodate that airlift. Absolutely we need the infrastructure to be able to cope or be able to handle the airlift and, of course, be able to accommodate US pre-clearance. That’s just a fantastic asset to Grand Bahama.”

While an update from the Government on the GB airport project’s status would doubtless make potential investors “feel more comfortable”, Mr Alnebeck said Grand Bahama has effectively been reduced to “an Out Island” due to the lack of direct airlift.

“A lot of us are connecting through Nassau most of the time because we don’t have the airlift we used to have any more,” he said. “It’s become, when we look at Grand Bahama and airlift, it has become an Out Island.

“For most years we were the second destination in The Bahamas and had the second best airlift. Now we are an Out Island in terms of airlift. That has an effect on the corporate sector and the Shipyard because it is more difficult to get people in and out.

“It’s not just tourists. It’s the destination in every respect. It would be fantastic if we could get the airport renovated quickly to a level where we get US pre-clearance back. Pre-clearance has been closed since Dorian some three-and-a-half years ago.”

Tony Myers, Bahamas Hot Mix’s (BHM) chairman, the company itself and CFAL president, Anthony Ferguson, are all members of the Bahamian investor group that will spearhead what has been billed as a complete overhaul of Grand Bahama International Airport. They are joined in Aerodrome Ltd by two fellow Bahamians - Anthony Farrington, an engineer; and Greg Stuart, a businessman.

BHM’s involvement in the project is through its UK-based international arm, BHM Construction International. The group teamed with Manchester Airport Group as its operating partner, with financing for the project to be provided by UK Export Finance, a British government body that provides credit guarantees and helps to arrange funding for that nation’s exporters.