The Tribune

The Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) yesterday confirmed it will resume upgrading runway and apron surfaces at The Bahamas' main airport on February 17.

The Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) operator said the latest work would focus on pavement reconstruction on a portion of Taxiway Hotel, which is a main access point on the airside. It is the location where aircraft exit the runway and enter aprons to park and be serviced in between flights. The scheduled works will last around two months and will result in full pavement restoration.

Passengers travelling during peak travel periods, which are between 12pm to 3pm daily, and over Spring Break and the Easter holidays, were warned to brace for some delays when arriving or departing from LPIA as a result of the airside works.

Key airport stakeholders are working together to mitigate the impact on LPIA's operations. Starting next week, Air Traffic Services (ATS) will activate contingency plans and implement operating procedures to manage traffic on the airside over the next two months.

"We are undergoing this essential pavement reconstruction in an effort to increase the lifespan of Taxiway Hotel, and ensure its surface remains safe. As traffic to the destination continues to grow, we must maintain our primary assets at a level that meets the airport's current and future demands," Deborah Coleby, NAD's vice-president of operations, explained.

To minimise the overall impact to operations on the airside, the project will be divided into two phases with each estimated to last around one month.

NAD last year completed major rehabilitation works on Runway 09/27 (now Runway 10/28) and Taxiway India (now Taxiway Papa). Works included a full rehabilitation of the asphalt pavement surface, extending the life of the runway, as well as installation of new lighting.

Although smaller in scale, the latest airside project will provide additional benefits to the overall operations. Additional works on airport aprons where aircraft park are scheduled to take place this year.

Motorists entering the airport from the entrance closest to the domestic/international departures and domestic arrivals terminal are being asked to approach the area with caution as heavy equipment movement may occur over the next two months.