The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Aviation industry players were yesterday urged to “quit talking” and make a National Airlift Policy happen, an airline chief executive warning that Family Island hotels and tourism were “dying” without it.

Captain Randy Butler, Sky Bahamas chief executive, backed calls by Kerry Fountain, the Out Islands Promotion Board’s executive director, for such a policy as “pretty much on point”.

Emphasising that he had been demanding a National Airlift strategy since 2007, Captain Butler told Tribune Business that the issue should also be incorporated into - and addressed - in the National Development Plan that is presently being constructed.

He added that the $100 million recently invested in Bahamasair’s new aircraft fleet could have been better spent on developing a National Airlift Policy that partnered the state-owned airline with privately-owned Bahamian carriers to move persons around the islands more efficiently.

“I’m glad to see they’re finally coming along. I’ve been in discussions with them, the Out Islands Promotion Board,” the Sky Bahamas chief said, in response to Mr Fountain’s comments at last week’s Abaco Business Outlook conference.

“But where is that money going to come from? I think he’s pretty much on point, but who’s his audience? Who’s he talking to to make it happen? Is he appealing to the Government, the public, the hotels, the airline. He seems to be appealing to the Government, and he’s connected to them, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Mr Fountain had called for a National Airlift Policy for the Family Islands, arguing that the Bahamas needed to make travel to them more convenient and affordable.

He added that this nation had failed to convert its US proximity into affordable airlift, with the relatively high per mile ‘access costs’ acting as a potential deterrent to visitors coming to the Bahamas.

Captain Butler yesterday said the Bahamas needed to swap talking for action, and implement a plan to tackle this issue.

“Put the plan in place, quit talking and make it happen,” he told Tribune Business. “All that talk, talk, talk... the Family Island hotels and tourism industries are dying. We need an immediate fix to prevent that happening.

“I’ve got tired of talking. There needs to be a stated policy, a written policy from the highest levels, and the political will to implement it. That should be a part of the 2040 plan - the National Development Plan.”

Captain Butler said lack of airlift, and a coherent policy to facilitate it, were directly tied to the continued contraction of many Family Island economies.

He cited his own island, Andros, where he stood as a 2012 general election candidate and owns a resort. The Sky Bahamas chief said some 128 persons in north Andros had recently accepted the new pre-paid social security cards, which he interpreted as a sign of a struggling economy.

“North Andros has the largest barrier reef in the world behind Australia, and is known for the beauty of its flats fishing and the beauty of its tourism,” Captain Butler said.

“Andros is a place you can go for eco-tourism, and for fishing, diving and marine interests.”

Captain Butler said direct airlift into Family Island destinations, cutting out transit stays in Nassau, was key to reducing inconvenience and cost for visitors to the Bahamas.

He told Tribune Business that whenever this issue was raised with the Government, it immediately referred to the Global Distribution System (GDS) that facilitates ticket and code sharing between airlines.

Yet Captain Butler argued that, while commendable, the GDS did noting to reduce ticket costs and eliminate transit stays and changes in Nassau.

Continuing with the theme that the absence of sustained, regular airlift was retarding Family Island growth, the Sky Bahamas chief added: “Right now, the islands like Cat Island, Andros, Great Harbour Cay, Chub Cay and the Berry Islands, where they have major investments going on, there is no airlift.

“Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace always said we were promoting just 2 per cent of the tourism product, Nassau/Paradise Island. And the trend of the traveller coming from North America is not to sit in the hotel room.

“There’s a change, and you’re seeing more of it. If you look at the vacation rentals by owner in the Family Islands, they’re getting plenty of business via the Internet.

“People want to go to the Out Islands and experience the Bahamian culture, and want to relax. The Ministry of Tourism is going to have to pay attention to that.”

Captain Butler called on the Ministry to start sharing its exit survey data with Bahamian-owned airlines, so they could obtain a better understanding of visitor travel preferences and their favoured destinations.

And he urged that any National Airlift Policy feature a partnership between the Government, Bahamasair and the privately-owned Bahamian airlines.

“It’s just a matter of doing it; a partnership with Sky Bahamas and others to make it happen,” Captain Butler reiterated. “We’ve got the equipment and we’re ready to go as soon as the policy is put in place.

“We can all sit down and make this deal a win-win for island economies, the hotels, airlines and the Treasury. This is the time to promote domestic tourism, promote second home ownership. We can do it; bring those people to the Family Islands, when we quit talking about it.”