The Tribune

BY ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE HEAD of the company behind Lynden Pindling International Airport’s (LPIA) new passenger screening system is pushing back against claims the enhanced security process is causing delays for domestic travellers, asserting the technology has not resulted in missed flights and is processing passengers in seconds.

Dr Raymond Wells, chief executive of Radiant Solutions Ltd, said the latest version of the airport’s screening platform builds on a system that has already been in operation for more than a year and was upgraded at the request of the Airport Authority to strengthen security and align The Bahamas with international screening standards.

“The system in itself was implemented over a year ago,” he said. “The first version of the system was implemented over a year ago, and it actually went live July 1, 2025.” 

Dr Wells explained that the original platform was designed primarily to scan boarding passes and allow airport officials to monitor passenger traffic through the country’s international airports. He said the Airport Authority later requested enhanced screening capabilities to verify passenger identities and detect fraudulent travel documents.

“As a part of the Airport Authority mandate, they contacted us and told us that they wanted us to provide enhanced screening in line with other airports around the world,” Dr Wells said.

The upgraded system verifies the authenticity of passports from countries around the world, compares a live facial image of each passenger against the photograph stored on the passport, confirms that the name on the boarding pass matches the passport, and checks whether the travel document has expired.

Dr Wells said all of those security checks are completed in less than 13 seconds. “The system is taking the name on the boarding pass, comparing the name on the boarding pass to the name on the passport, then taking a live image of the person and comparing that live photo to the person’s image on their document,” he said. “It is checking whether the passport is fraudulent and whether it has expired. All of that is happening in under 13 seconds.”

Asked whether the technology should create delays, Dr Wells responded: “None.” His comments come after concerns were raised over long lines at the domestic terminal following the introduction of the enhanced screening process.

However, Dr Wells argued that images circulating on social media showing lengthy queues were taken weeks ago during peak travel periods and do not reflect current operations. “There’s been no delays today,” he said. “That image they saw was weeks ago.”

Dr Wells added that Radiant Solutions has been operating the enhanced system at the airport for four weeks, and has been closely monitoring airline operations throughout the roll-out. “From we were there, there has not been one missed flight as a result of the system,” he said. “Not one.

“We’ve been monitoring the airlines, and they’ve been advising us that they had no missed flights as a result of the system.” Dr Wells maintained that congestion seen at certain times of the day is consistent with historical passenger traffic rather than a consequence of the new technology.

“If you go there on a Tuesday morning, there are four flights leaving at the same time… there’s always a line there,” Dr Wells said, noting that multiple Bahamasair flights, along with flights to Haiti and Cuba, depart during the early morning rush. “So you would never not have a line on a Tuesday morning. That’s just how it is.”

Dr Wells acknowledged there was a learning curve as airport personnel became familiar with the upgraded system but said staff have now become proficient. “I think they are there now,” he said. “They’re doing an excellent job in my view because the system is just an upgraded existing system that they’ve been using now for 13 months.”

To accommodate heavy passenger volumes, Dr Wells said the Airport Authority adjusts staffing and screening capacity based on demand. He added that while one screening unit may be sufficient during slower periods, two systems are typically in operation, with a third currently being added to handle peak traffic.

“They’ve said to us initially, ‘We require a third system.’ So we’re putting a third system there, so that during peak times, three of the systems would be in use,” he said.

Dr Wells compared the approach to adding more security officers during busy travel periods, saying airport operations are scaled according to passenger volumes rather than relying solely on technology.

Dr Wells also emphasised that travellers should continue following the Airport Authority’s longstanding recommendation of arriving two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international flights.

“There has been no change in that,” he said. Dr Wells added that passengers arriving within those recommended timeframes still have ample time before boarding.

“There’s been nobody who’s come within that time that is not sitting up in the back with more than ample time for them to get their coffee, their donuts, or whatever while they wait for their flight,” he said.