The Tribune

THE Bahamas signed six new air service contracts this week.

This, according to Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin, will open new windows for the country’s aviation industry.

Mrs Hanna-Martin delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the 9th International Civil Aviation Organisation Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2016) on Monday at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

The five-day conclave runs from December 5-9 and is being held at the National Stadium.

“The Bahamas will negotiate new agreements which open new windows of opportunities into the world,” said Mrs Hanna-Martin. “This will not only mean opportunities in the aviation sector but also will impact our tourism sector as it would facilitate the movement of people, which is germane to the economic health of our country.”

The government signed agreements with Qatar, Singapore, New Zealand, Curaçao, Brazil and Kuwait on Tuesday. Two other agreements were recently signed with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Under Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation Charles Albury said that the event was a great opportunity for the Bahamas to showcase to the world that it is “ready for business,” not only in the aviation sector but also for any type of world-class event.

Over 800 delegates representing over 90 countries will gather over the next five days to negotiate air services agreements for their respective countries.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a UN specialised agency, which was established in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).