By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMASAIR Chairman Valentine Grimes yesterday said the airline’s move to replace its aging Dash 8-300 fleet with five new Avions de Transport Régional (ATR) planes was made as a part of recent a cost-cutting initiative to boost “frequency, reliability and cost efficiency”.
In May, Mr Grimes announced that the airline would unveil the “change-out” of its Dash-8 aircraft fleet within the next 30 days.
He was speaking at the signing of a five-year industrial agreement between Bahamasair and the Public Managers Union (PMU), which represents the carrier’s 60 middle management employees.
He indicated yesterday that officials expect two of the new ATR planes to arrive later this year, with the remaining three arriving by the middle of 2016.
Although the exact series of the planes purchased was not given by Mr Grimes, The Tribune has learned that Bahamasair has ordered three ATR42-600s and two ATR72-600s.
Both lines are considered fuel-efficient; something that Mr Grimes has said in the past the company wanted.
“We continue to make the necessary strides to cut expenses and reduce cost. We are working on placing Bahamasair on a line where we can improve the services we offer to our customers,” added Mr Grimes.
“This is just one more step in that process,” he said.
Comments
Economist 9 years, 6 months ago
This is economic suicide. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for propping up Bahamasair.
This will add another $80,000,000 to $100,000,000 to the national debt. And what for.
This is the stupidest decision yet. Dumb, Dumber and Dumber still...!!!!!!!!
DillyTree 9 years, 6 months ago
Economist, I couldn't agree more! Such stupid and wasteful idea. Bahamasair should be scrapped, sold or otherwise disbanded and let free enterprise reign. Bahamasair has NEVER turned a profit EVER. Time for it to go. I suspect this expansion of new planes is so as jobs will be available for the hundreds of BEC workers to soon be made redundant with the new managment company coming in. It's more money being spent (and not accounted for) -- these aren't new planes, but used planes that have already lived a hard life!
ohdrap4 9 years, 6 months ago
leave it there! i aint flying flamingo air you go first
Economist 9 years, 6 months ago
If the Minister and the Civil Servants did their jobs then you could, and should be able to, fly Flamingo Air with confidence.
It is a case of Civil Servants drawing a salary for doing nothing or even though they are incompetent.
newcitizen 9 years, 6 months ago
Sell it! Enough with the government trying to run businesses. They are terrible at it and it's costing all of us hundreds of millions of dollars a year. BEC, Bahamas Air, BOB, and on and on. Enough is enough!
B_I_D___ 9 years, 6 months ago
They are selling it...but the lucky buyer gets a fleet of new aircraft at the taxpayers expense...
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 6 months ago
86 million......
That's what they paid....
For an airline that loses 20 million a year......
All they have to do is sub out all of the out island routes to local airline. And use the jets to go into new markets....
DUH........
duppyVAT 9 years, 6 months ago
The PLP will set a record for poor fiscal decisions during this term .......... BAMSI, BTC, BEC, BOB, NIB & NHI, Bahamar, UR 2.0 & Police cars, RBDF boats/ports and now Bahamasair ............ that is why they borrow so much money and we see nothing of consequence or incomplete projects at the end of their terms
Just look at what was corrected when the FNM fixed those roads ......... traffic flow, water mains, BEC/BTC underground mains etc ............ but the PLP keep harping on $100 million cost overrun....... what about their $2 BILLION worth of borrowings???????????
realfreethinker 9 years, 6 months ago
duppyvat you are so correct. this government is nothing but a bottom less pit for our money. A cesspool of corruption.
themessenger 9 years, 6 months ago
Well, lets look on the bright side. They could bring back Paul Major to run Bahamasair again especially in light of his recent carnival success;their cup would runeth over.Lol.
Economist 9 years, 6 months ago
It is over $20 million. They fudge the accounting. It is really about $30 million a year. Bahamasair accounts for over 500 million of the countries national debt.
Think of it. These planes have to e written off over the next 20 years so that is $4 million per year. Then you have the interest payments on the $80 million. Be generous and say they are only paying 4% or $3.2 Million this year. Then add the regular losses. It is easy to lose $30 million or $3,424.65 per hour.
Yup, Bahamasair loses $3,424.65 for every hour it exists.
No sensible person, no person in their right mind would keep it going, let alone boast about it.
avidreader 9 years, 6 months ago
Anyone taking the time to read articles related to ATR aircraft on Wikipedia will discover details of their problems with icing conditions in flight. Hopefully these issues have been addressed in the form of Airworthiness Directives and a redesign of the deicing boots but it is a little unnerving to read about loss of control as a result of in- flight icing problems at altitude in cold climates. Of course, icing can occur in the tropics at 11,000+ feet altitudes under certain conditions. Bahamasair has an enviable safety record. Let us hope that it continues into the future.
Emac 9 years, 6 months ago
I say Bahamasair should discontinue all international flights and only provide services to islands of the Bahamas. It is ludicrous for this airline to even try and compete with other airlines especially since these airlines have a much more professional staff that work for their money.
bimjim 9 years, 6 months ago
That the -600 Setries use less fuel is a falsehood - as has been discovered by both Caribbean Airlines and LIAT. The earlier versions use less fuel, yes, but also fly at slower speeds. They were touted as such to LIAT by Trinidadian Ian Brunton, as was a proposal that LIAT's fleet change would cost US$100 million - in fact, at the end of the day they will cost LIAT closer to US$250 million.
The -600 Series have the same engines, but they have been "uprated". Turbine engines can be set to produce a specific power rating, and the ones on the -600 Series produce more power to provide the additional speed to compete with comparable aircraft - such as the Dash-8 Q400.
The ATRs also do not have the STOL capacity of the Dash-8-300 that BahamasAir is using now, so I hope the runway lengths are adequate.
Just so you know what you are getting into...
becks 9 years, 6 months ago
My first reaction to the article was....oh no...ATRs have a history of icing...bad choice.....second reaction was ....why? Stick with what you know...go with the updated version of the Dash series....
happyfly 9 years, 6 months ago
if buying new planes is a cost cutting exercise......why the government need VAT. They could just buy more and more planes until the deficit is gone ??
BahamaPundit 9 years, 6 months ago
Is it just me or do these hooligans spend our money like it's a game of Monopoly. Shame on us. Shame on us. Greece here we come! It's a surreal experience, actually. Watching people that should be working on farms throwing buckets and truck loads of your money over a cliff and into the sea. Join me and watch the beautiful sight. It's only money. Let's help them. Here, take this carosine and match and torch the hell out of that mountain of cash right there. Isn't this fun!
GrassRoot 9 years, 6 months ago
I misread the beginning of the article.
was made as a part of recent a cost-cutting initiative to boost “frequency, reliability and cost efficiency”.
I thought they were talking about the pilots.
The_Oracle 9 years, 6 months ago
Our politicians will never eliminate any of their avenues for pilfering, they'd have to line up and share at what is left! No matter that the Bahamian people continue to suffer with less and less opportunity, income, law and order.
asiseeit 9 years, 6 months ago
Just imagine how many voters cards can be flown on one of these new planes, hey Mr. Grimes?
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