The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

Early next year, Sky Bahamas is planning to commence flights between New Providence and Long Island twice a day – a move the constituency’s MP called “a step in the right direction” towards boosting the island’s tourism market.

Although planning is still in the early stages, the airline’s CEO Randy Butler explained yesterday that Deadman’s Cay and Stella Maris airports will be the destinations.

Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner praised the initiative, stating the island is “certainly an under-serviced route” when it comes to flights from New Providence and the Family Islands, as well as international airports.

“I realise that the biggest challenge for Long Island today is lack of airlift,” she said, explaining that travellers from abroad often have to overnight in the capital if they require a connecting flight to Long Island.

“If we got better airlift into Long Island, obviously the timing of those flights would impact the ability of international travellers, in particular, to get to Long Island within a day – and for Long Island to become more attractive because of that. The challenge that we’ve had over the years is that persons coming in from further away tend to have to overnight in Nassau to catch an early morning flight into Long Island.”

This move by Sky Bahamas is tentatively scheduled to have flights in the morning and the late evening, to and from Nassau and Long Island.

“Sky Bahamas seems to be willing to listen to our needs and integrate that flexibility that international travellers will need,” Mrs Butler-Turner said. “That means late in and early out. Late flights into Long Island in the evening and early flights out in the morning for connectivity of flights going abroad. So, I welcome it – I absolutely welcome it.”

She added: “I believe that the way forward for tourism into the Bahamas is certainly in the Family Islands – which are still very virgin, pristine territory and Long Island is one such place. If I can get Tourism on board, if I can get Aviation and some private investors, I think that we may have the ingredients for a successful dialogue.”

In addition to these new flights into Long Island, Mrs Butler-Turner said, both airports will be receiving upgrades.

“Obviously we need to look at the upgrades of the physical plans at the airport. Both of them need immense overhaul. Both of them are going to have to meet certain international standards and to a lesser extent, domestic travel standards as well,” she said.

“We need an expansion of our runway at the Deadman’s Cay Airport. It’s something that I’ve been working on and trying to foster a private-public partnership and fortunately the Minister of Tourism is going to be in Long Island tomorrow and I will definitely be there with him as well, so we can explore some of these avenues.”

Mr Butler said plans have not been finalised, but the Sky Bahamas service between New Providence and Long Island should begin the first week of January.