The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian airline said yesterday it was again looking to offer direct flights between the Bahamas and Haiti, its president and chief executive telling Tribune Business it was “now more than ever” time to do so given this week’s bilateral agreements between the two countries.

Captain Randy Butler said Sky Bahamas had initially sought to start a direct route to Haiti back in 2012. “It was about the red tape and bureaucracy. It was easier to get approvals to get to the US than it was to go to Haiti,” he explained.

“Some of that may have been the time we were trying to do it. It was right after the earthquake. We see the president reaching out and talking about the new culture in Haiti. We have been promised that it’s easier to get in there now. Based on the efforts the Bahamas government is making on trade agreements with Haiti, the time is now more than ever to put direct flights into Haiti.”   

Captain Butler added: “We’re ready to make contact. I think we had sent all the paperwork before. We are waiting for a response, and as soon as we get that response we will be looking to get into Haiti.”

He said the domestic aviation sector remains “challenging”, and called on the Government to sit down with industry stakeholders to craft a development plan for the sector.

“I believe that in the Bahamas domestic airlines really fill a need and void. I think that the Government should be sitting down and crafting national development plans with domestic airlines, tourism and other sectors to see how we can build this industry,” Captain Butler said.

“The domestic airlines are in trouble because the policies and kinds of decisions being made by the Government in increasing taxes, fees, and using our taxpayer money to continue to support foreign airlines to compete against us.

“The domestic airlines are challenged, and I believe that very soon you are going to see some of them going out of business. That is directly related to the decisions and policies the Government is making.”