The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMASAIR said there has not been a total communication breakdown with union representatives, despite ongoing tensions over labour negotiations.

Managing director Tracy Cooper acknowledged friction but said discussions with unions, including the Airport Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAWU), are ongoing. “There’s always a fight,” he said. “But we continue to talk to our unions each and every day.”

He added that the Department of Labour remains involved to help resolve disputes.

In December 2024, the Supreme Court declared strike actions by the AAAWU unlawful, issuing an injunction that ordered employees back to work. The sickout caused major disruptions during the peak holiday travel season. A separate injunction later barred several unions, including the Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU), from taking industrial action.

These challenges come as the country moves ahead with its most ambitious aviation expansion to date under the National Aviation Strategic Plan (NASP).

Dr Kenneth Romer said the $10m effort launched at Lynden Pindling International Airport has expanded into a full national strategy, with upgrades now underway at Bimini, New Bight, Arthur’s Town, Governor’s Harbour, and Exuma, along with planning for new international airports in North Eleuthera and Grand Bahama.