(EDITOR’S NOTE: We really liked this response to the Opposition Leader’s statement on Grand Bahama International Airport by the Hon. Chester Cooper, M.P. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, on July 22, 2022, so we decided to share it with readers of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE as a Guest Commentary.”
GUEST COMMETARY: BY CHESTER COOPER
NASSAU, Bahamas, July 22, 2022 — In response to the Leader of the Opposition’s statement urging action on the Grand Bahama International Airport, let me first say that I am shocked he has finally found his voice on the need for Grand Bahama to have a proper airport.
It is most astounding that while he is giving suggestions, neither shame nor humility compels him to acknowledge how terribly the last administration, during which he sat in Cabinet, failed Grand Bahama.
Hurricane Dorian struck in 2019, and the FNM did nothing. They let the airport languish for nearly two years before purchasing it and then did nothing up to the time they were voted out of office.
This despite Michael Pintard being the Member pf Parliament for Marco City, one of five MPs from Grand Bahama and a senior member of the Minnis administration.
He is intimately familiar with this airport because he travelled in and out of it consistently yet said nothing and, again, did nothing to improve the storm-tattered facility.
Meantime, public servants operated in the elements and used out houses to relieve themselves.
Since coming to office our Administration has done the following:
- Ordered modular offices for displaced workers. Those units have arrived and will be installed in short order.
- Ordered and installed generators in all areas of the airport to facilitate the safe operation of the airport. Earlier this year, due to Grand Bahama Power Company outages, many residents and guests were stranded as a result of the neglect of the last administration, of which Pintard was a part.
- Ordered elevators for the Control Tower several months ago, for the comfort and safety of workers. There is significant lead time on these items due to global supply chain issues and we anticipate they will arrive and be installed in due course.
- Demolished one of the storm-tattered warehouses which was a depressing reminder of the ravages of Hurricane Dorian.
- Undertaken a request for proposals for a public private partnership to convert GBIA.
- We have shor-listed three entities.
- Embarked on an aggressive plan to build a world class airport and committed to have it completed by 2025.
- Increased airlift services from major gateways, notably Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. We will launch a North Carolina route in November 2022. We will be announcing additional airlift shortly.
- Coordinated and collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry for Grand Bahama and stakeholders to advance the aviation sector and support the tourism sector and overall economy of Grand Bahama Island.
- Sourced quotes to convert the former domestic terminal to usable space. We will continue to invest modestly to comfortably accommodate our guests and our staff as we build a world class airport.
While we appreciate all Grand Bahama stakeholders offering advice on what they envisage for the future of Grand Bahama, what the leader of the opposition should first do is apologize to the people of Grand Bahama for how abysmally the last administration treated them. He has no credibility or moral standing on this issue.
The Grand Bahama International Airport is in far better hands now than it was in the last administration.
As noted above, we are actively engaged to improve the facility with immediate fixes and a credible long-term plan.
CAPTION: FLASHBACK: Speaking in the House of Assembly on February 3, 2022, DPM Chester Cooper, who is also Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, noted that Grand Bahama International Airport was operating at a loss of $3.6 million each year and gave assurances that the reconstruction of the facility was a priority of the PLP government. Pointing out that he airport suffered extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Dorian and was subsequently purchased by the Minnis administration, he lamented the fact that “little work was done on the facility since then.”
