The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Contracting Bahamasair to solve Grand Bahama's airlift woes "will not be instant coffee", the minister of tourism and aviation conceded yesterday, adding that his ministry's plans were merely "rebuilding the infrastructure" lost in 2004 with the Royal Oasis closure. Indicating that the Government, via the Bahamian taxpayer, might have to subsidise and underwrite Grand Bahama's tourism product to an even greater extent than it is already, at least during the early stages of the revamped airlift plans, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said the strategy was designed to make Bahamasair a "direct partner" in the nation's tourism product. Noting that such a strategy had been talked about for years, Mr Vanderpool-Wallace said Bahamasair's existing reservations system, staff and fleet, together with more code share agreements set to be unveiled with other airlines, enabled the national flag carrier "to bring a number of efficiencies to the table". While Bahamasair would initially wet lease from Vision Airlines the aircraft to provider service between Grand Bahama and five US cities, through an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) arrangement, the "long-term" plan is for the airline to have its own planes and generate a profit on the routes. "What we are doing is getting the national flag carrier more directly involved in tourism proper," Mr Vanderpool-Wallace told Tribune Business. "There are a number of efficiencies Bahamasair brings to the table that can be integrated with what we're doing. There are all kinds of efficiencies we hope to take advantage of in getting the airlift to the point where we have more capacity than where it is today." The minister added that Bahamasair would be able to exploit "ready made routes" from Grand Bahama to Baltimore, Raleigh, Louisville, Richmond and Fort Lauderdale, as they had already been developed by the Ministry of Tourism. In addition to its existing reservations and ticketing system, the national flag carrier would be able to access more equipment, and "larger, more efficient planes". "What is critical, and I cannot over-emphasise this, is being part of a global reservations system," Mr Vanderpool-Wallace told Tribune Business, noting that Bahamasair brought this with it, too. As a result, passengers - especially tourists flying to the Bahamas - were able to buy just one ticket, even if they had to interconnect and change flights at various points. "Although we have not announced it as yet, we are bringing Bahamasair into a lot more code sharing agreements," the minister added. This, again, is intended to provide for seamless flight interconnection between different carriers for anyone travelling to the Bahamas, with Mr Vanderpool-Wallace also looking at systems tying airline and hotel reservations together. Suggesting that the plans for Bahamasair and Grand Bahama were "the beginning" of more low cost, high frequency flights to both that island and this nation at large, Mr Vanderpool-Wallace said: "We also have a situation where we are taking the name and logo of Bahamasair, and flying it to various markets. "That has some value, particularly with the new equipment we expect to acquire. Long-term, Bahamasair will have its own aircraft." Asked whether the proposed Bahamasair-Grand Bahama service would be profitable, and if it would achieve the Ministry of Tourism's stated objectives of slashing air fares and flying time by 50 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively, Mr Vanderpool-Wallace replied: "That, obviously, is where we are aiming. "We don't expect is to happen overnight. We don't believe this thing will be instant coffee; these things take time to brew. We are starting to brew it." Mr Vanderpool-Wallace pointed out that in the early 2000s, charter flights had linked Grand Bahama with the same five US cities now being eyed for Bahamasair's services, bringing visitors to the now-closed Royal Oasis resort. While Grand Bahama had lost the 40 per cent of its room inventory that was tied to the Royal Oasis, Mr Vanderpool-Wallace told Tribune Business: "What we are doing is rebuilding the infrastructure. We are rebuilding what we had better, with scheduled service rather than charter services, and it is not tied to a single property.