The Tribune

THE Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) is gearing up for an Easter weekend when it is likely to process up to 10,000 passengers, this week marking five years since it took over day-to-day operations at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA). On April 1, 2007, the Government signed a 30-year agreement with NAD to manage and redevelop LPIA. Now, the airport expansion project is more than 50 per cent complete. The 247,000 square foot US Departures terminal, stage one of the three-staged construction project, opened in March 2011, and a new International Arrivals terminal is scheduled to open this autumn. Other highlights for NAD include an overhaul of airport concessions to include international brands and authentic Bahamian food and crafts -all 100 per cent Bahamian owned. The company also added two Bahamians to the executive management team - Vernice Walkine, vice-president of marketing and commercial development, and Kevin McDonald, vice-president of maintenance and engineering. "It's been five busy years for our team," said Stewart Steeves, president and chief executive at NAD. "Much of what we have achieved is visible in the upgraded facilities. It's the intangible things that I am most proud of - the things that cannot be easily measured, such as improved staff engagement and pride." NAD is now preparing for one of the busiest weeks at the airport. Last year, during the Easter holiday weekend, an estimated 10,000 passengers were processed through the facilities.