The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A well-known Bahamian airline executive yesterday expressed concern that placing less focus on direct international flights to the Family Islands, in favour of a Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) hub and stay-over, would only make it more expensive for visitors.

Sky Bahamas chief executive, Captain Randy Butler, said the LPIA experience might not match what visitors enjoyed at their Family Island destinations.

“It makes it more expensive, and most of the time the visitors are not able to get to their destination in one day. Added to that the airport in Nassau does not match up with what they are going to experience on the Family Islands,” said Captain Butler.

He was speaking after Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) chief executive, Vernice Walkine, said the Bahamas would likely focus less on direct international flights into various Family Islands in favour of promoting a more centralised structure, with LPIA serving as the hub to the rest of the country.

“You have one government which says that they are focused on building and developing the Family Islands, and geared at bringing direct traffic, and they have spent money to get that done,” Captain Butler said.

“Now you are hearing that they want the people to come to experience the Nassau airport, and then they are going to take them to the Family Islands. At Nassau’s airport, when you have to pay the fees here and go to the Family Islands, and pay the fees coming from the Family Islands, it adds to the already expensive costs to get them here.

“One of the challenges we have is that you have one baggage system that is doing the bags for all the domestic carriers, and all of the non-US international flights. It slows things down, and there are issues with bags not getting to the island. Although the minister has said that there is night flying in the Bahamas, you still have to get approval from the director of civil aviation every time to do these flights.”

Captain Butler added: “The agencies at the top that make policies must talk to each other, so that those who must follow the policies know what they are. From day to day, tourism is saying one thing, civil aviation is saying another, transport something else, and they have not communicated to the Family Island airports.

“It’s very difficult to give the tourist a pleasant experience. It’s expensive enough and we can’t offer the kind of efficient, on-time bags with you landing to your destination.

“While I agree that Nassau’s airport might be prettier, I don’t understand the purpose wanting to bring them to Nassau if they want to go to, say, Exuma, Cat Island or Andros. When you have these flights coming from Canada late in the evening, and the US late in the evening, most flights to the Family Island have gone by 4.30pm because of the night flying. All of us need to get together and talk about what we are trying to achieve here.”

Captain Butler agreed that global distribution systems (GDS), which enable airlines to tap into traveller preferences through online booking websites that centralise multiple travel?-related services, were important.

He said, however: “I agree with Ms Walkine that the global distribution system is important, but the small domestic carriers cannot afford what it takes to get that. I agree with getting these people directly to their destination in one day. There is no reason why you cannot have three hubs in the Bahamas right now, Freeport, Nassau and Exuma.”