The Tribune

Private pilots and charters are being asked not to fly between 11am to 3pm over the Thanksgiving holiday in a bid to reduce traffic congestion at one-runway Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).

The Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD), LPIA’s manager, said in a statement that the airport will likely operate as a single runway facility throughout the Thanksgiving weekend with runway rehabilitation works in the final stages.

Some 90,000 travellers are projected to move through LPIA between Wednesday, November 27, and Monday, December 2. “During holiday peak travel periods we wish to assure the travelling public that, firstly, their safety is our paramount concern,” said Deborah Coleby, LPIA’s vice-president of operations.

“Our overall objective is to make certain that a high level of efficiency prevails in the terminals coupled with excellent customer service, resulting in a positive experience for our passengers. We continuously work with the key stakeholders to maximise the efficiency of operations, and our goal is to mitigate any potential challenges within our facilities. To achieve this, we must work collaboratively with our key stakeholders.”

NAD said it will issue a notice to encourage local general aviation charters to operate outside the 11am to 3pm daily peak period for incoming and outgoing flights, thereby enabling them to avoid heavy aviation traffic and potential delays.

The airport operator added that the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Division (BANSD) has pledged that Air Traffic Services (ATS) will be adequately staffed to handle the projected increase in air traffic during the holiday period.

Acknowledging that it is not unusual for LPIA to experience traffic saturation due to the volume of commercial and private aircraft in The Bahamas’ airspace, NAD said BANSD will work in tandem with the Miami Centre to manage the flow of air traffic as efficiently as possible.

The Airport Authority will also ensure adequate staff are deployed at all pre-board screening checkpoints during the peak travel periods. NAD personnel will be in place to manage lines with a view to reducing queue times.

Customs and Immigration will also increase staffing over the Thanksgiving period, with the latter deploying team members to assist arriving passengers and direct them accordingly to the booths or the kiosks.

Passengers have again been urged to check-in at least three hours prior to US-bound flights and two hours prior to International departures with the exception of early morning flights. LPIA opens at 4:30am daily, and passengers traveling on flights between 6.15am and 7:30am are being encouraged to arrive at this time.