By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
THE Minister of Tourism and Aviation yesterday said the Government is "aggressively" moving to establish Bahamian airspace via a Flight Information Region (FIR).
The former Christie administration last January hailed as a "landmark accomplishment" its agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will result in Bahamian aircraft operators no longer having to pay overflight fees to the US for domestic flights.
Dionisio D'Aguilar, though, said the previous government's achievement was not as big as it had been made out to be.
"I don't know what their landmark airspace deal was. All they did was get a concession for Bahamian airline companies to fly through Bahamian airspace and not pay a fee to do so," he argued. "The Government is very aggressively pursuing the establishment of what is the Bahamian airspace, and I'm hoping that in the next six months we can be in a position where we can say this is our airspace.
"We can also hopefully begin the process of earning revenue from it, and also putting in a safety regime so that over time we can take control of our airspace and hire Bahamians to manage it.
"Right now the vast majority of our airspace is being managed by the Federal Aviation Administration. It's a tedious and tiresome process, but I think we are close."
Under international laws, countries require airlines and other aircraft to pay a fee for the right to fly over their airspace.
The administration of those rights in the Bahamas has been performed by the FAA since 1952, meaning Bahamasair and other Bahamian-owned carriers have had to pay the US for the privilege of flying over their own country.
Comments
birdiestrachan 6 years, 10 months ago
No one expects D;Aguilar to give the PLP credit for anything. They did start the process while the FNM government did nothing about the air space all of their years in power. we shall see what motor mouth will do. Time is passing quickly.
milesair 6 years, 10 months ago
It's about time that the Bahamas controlled its own airspace. This could provide revenue to the Bahamian government that the U.S. ATC system has been collecting for years. There is a lot of foreign air traffic that passes through Bahamian airspace on its way to the Caribbean, Europe and South America especially from Florida and other cities in the U.S. This is revenue that the Bahamas is rightfully entitled too. Make it happen soon!
SP 6 years, 10 months ago
Great news Mr. D'Aguilar. This situation has gone on far too long and the country has needlessly lost untold millions.
The PLP "landmark" airspace deal was wondrous to them because it was one of the very few things they achieved in 5 years of dancing and prancing about the place like mindless idiots!
birdiestrachan 6 years, 10 months ago
History will record The University of the Bahamas, The new methods of car licensing VAT and the Web shops that the FNM government is embracing. All in the Bahamas that has made significant improvements in the lives of Bahamians were done by the PLP Government. Visionary improvements. Vision some have it some do not.
As for mindless idiots there will be much to see. just about a year has gone what has been seen so far. lots of talk no action.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 10 months ago
Glenys will take credit for this, soon ...... mark my words
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 10 months ago
Well we didn't acknowledge them at the Bahamar opening and we took all the credit for the central banks plan to relax foreign currency rules...so threes a charm..
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