Positioned as a “strategic asset” for generating economic growth, the redeveloped Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) will be able to accommodate 5.2 million passengers annually, almost double the current passenger capacity.
The Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) has spent $53 million with Bahamian service providers in the first phase of the redevelopment.
The three-phase LPIA redevelopment, to be completed by the end of 2013, will increase total terminal space at LPIA by just over 21 per cent, from the current 482,000 square feet to 585,000 square feet.
“The redevelopment project provides us with an opportunity to create a local sense of place,” said Frank Watson, chairman of the Airport Authority. “We want visitors to feel they are in the Bahamas from the moment they disembark,” he added.
Towards this goal, everything down to the tiles, carpets and ceiling inlays have incorporated an authentic Bahamian design, inlcuding the commissioning of over $2 million worth of Bahamian art.
LPIA will also offer free wi-fi Internet access.
“The new LPIA is not just an airport,” Watson said. “It is a strategic asset for the country, enabling economic growth through tourism, financial services and other forms of trade.”
