NASSAU, Bahamas — Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, February 2, that the government is “very close” to acquiring the Grand Bahama International Airport from the Hutchison Group, The Tribune, one of The Bahamas leading newspapers, reported on Thursday, February 4.
The airport was badly damaged by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
“The government, through the Airport Authority, is very close to acquiring this airport from Hutchinson and then will engage consultants on how to redevelop that airport,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “As we all know, that Freeport airport has been destroyed by storm surge from the hurricane on numerous occasions and so any design of a new airport in Freeport must involve a plan to mitigate against such weather events.”
Mr D’Aguilar provided an update on several other airport projects, noting the government has secured funding from a local financial institution to proceed with a public private partnership while also using funds from the Inter-American Development Bank.
He said a proposed Exuma International Airport has been designed and officials are in the final stages of approving a contract for a Bahamian firm to build a new terminal on the existing airport site, adding that ground will be broken on the site within the next 90 days.
“We have engaged a best-in-class airport consulting firm that specialises in aviation PPPs (public private partnerships) to identify the best partner for management and operation of this Exuma International Airport project once it has been completed,” Minister D’Aguilar said. “Once the contract for the new terminal has been awarded, attention will be turned to the airside works, new runways and taxiways necessary to accommodate larger aircrafts and increased traffic.” See complete Tribune story at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/feb/04/govt-very-close-grand-bahama-airport-deal/
