The Tribune

FNM leader Michael Pintard raised concerns about “the continued secrecy surrounding the government’s arrangements with The Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network (BACSWN)” in a social media post yesterday.

BACSWN has signed a Heads of Agreement with the government to enhance meteorological services and improve flight tracking across Bahamian airspace.

In a post on Facebook, Mr Pintard wrote “Over the past several weeks, serious questions have been raised by international airline associations, aviation stakeholders, industry professionals, and members of the public regarding the proposed fee structure, governance arrangements, and overall business model associated with this project.

“Public reporting has also highlighted concerns that the agreement could result in substantial new charges being imposed on airlines operating through Bahamian airspace while critical details of the arrangement remain hidden from public scrutiny.”

Mr Pintard called on the Government to release details of the Heads of Agreement and for a “full public consultation”.

He added: “Most importantly, any proposed fee structure must be subjected to independent scrutiny to ensure that it is reasonable, internationally compliant with existing aviation fee laws, economically justified, and does not undermine the viability of the Bahamian aviation sector.

“The Government must be able to demonstrate that fees are tied to actual services provided, that they are transparent in their calculation and aligned with ICAO charging principles, and that they do not impose an unfair burden on carriers operating in or over Bahamian airspace.”

The Tribune reported on Friday that BACSWN has said a consultation process with airlines will start shortly.

In their statement last week, the company said: “Our goal is to improve the weather information available to pilots and operators, with a charging approach that is fair, transparent and open to scrutiny.”

When asked to comment on Mr Pintard’s post, a spokesperson said that they would respond in due course.