The deteriorated main runway, 14/32, at the “run down” Nassau International Airport is estimated to cost some $20 million dollars to repair, according to Minister of Transport and Aviation, Glenys Hanna – Martin.
She explained in the House of Assembly on Wednesday that the need for such repairs has reached a critical stage and the Airport Authority is presently considering methods to raise the capital to effect the necessary repairs.
“A number of methods are being looked at, including the institution of a passenger facility charge.
This figure of $20 million does not take into account the repairs to runway O9/27, which are estimated to be $16 million, nor the question of the original airport terminal, which is old and currently in an advanced state of disrepair and deterioration,” she said.
According to the Aviation Minister, the Master Plan commissioned some years ago for the NIA, has placed the development of this area of the airport at $20 million, although the Airport Authority will look to other models, so as to ensure the airport develops in a manner which is attractive, but at the same time, cost-effective.
Outlining the various repairs that need to be carried out at NIA, Minister Hanna-Martin said that very little has been given to the infrastructure at the NIA and the Family Island airports in general. She said that for the most part, the government has developed a culture of “infrastructural development, characterized by spending large sums of money on lavish buildings, only to ignore the maintenance and repair of those and other buildings over a period of years.”
“As a result, we have merely reacted to matters which should have been dealt with in a timely and consistent manner through proper strategic planning.
Today, we find ourselves at a point in our national life, faced with circumstances which have reached a critical stage with serious economic implications,” she said. The Aviation Minister explained that several opinions have been sought from international consultants, who have conducted reviews of the airport, with particular reference to its pavement, runway lighting, expansion of aprons, runways and the development of a master plan governing the airport’s facilities, anticipated traffic and development over the next 25 years.
Minister Hanna-Martin said that each report from the various consultants confirmed the original advice tendered to the government in 1998, that the repairs to the runway at NIA, especially runway 14/32, had reached a stage of critical urgency.
“The estimated cost of repairs is significantly beyond the revenue capabilities of the Authority, thereby necessitating the immediate intervention of the central government,” said the Aviation Minister, who added that it was not until September 26 of this year that the Airport Authority Board convened a meeting and agreed to proceed with invitations to engineering consultants to undertake essential preliminary works, including the conduct of topographical and geo-technical surveys and the design of the project.
“Submissions received pursuant to the said invitations, are presently under review by the technical officers at the Ministry of Works.
A more precise estimate of the cost of the entire project, will only be available after the preliminary works have been completed, since the exact need for the design will be determined by the result of the surveys,” said Minister Hanna-Martin.
The Aviation Minister said that in 1999, the government appointed an advisory committee to look into the operations of NIA and make appropriate recommendations for the improvement of that facility.
She said the report was submitted to the government on June 17, 1999 and indicated that NIA in its entirety is a poorly- maintained facility, which is not representative of the high standards essential for The Bahamas.
“All terminals and most other related facilities are run down and dirty.
Cumbersome procedures affect the ability of management to undertake urgent works, the fire and rescue station is improperly equipped and housed and the airport security is below standard, short of personnel and ill-equipped for the task,” said Minister Hanna -Martin.
In addition to these findings, Minister Hanna-Martin said, it was also reported that NIA’s private maintenance contractors perform well below required standards, especially in the cleaning areas; duty free and souvenir shops, banking and postal facilities and restaurants are not located in places convenient to travelers and airport users and significant amounts of fees for aircraft landings and parking, refueling, royalties and rental fees from concessionaires are outstanding.
Once these observations were made, the Aviation Minister said the committee submitted an action plan designed to redevelop NIA into a world class facility, prepared to deal with the challenges of increased travel and tourism and also recommended transfer of the entire facility to an independent authority, hence the creation of the Airport Authority in 2000.
The Authority acts as a public corporation to operate and manage airports throughout The Bahamas.
According to Minister Hanna-Martin, the Airport Authority removed asbestos from a major sector of terminal A, developed modules for management of NIA and improved systems of management security and revenue collection.
In regards to security after September 11, 2001, she also noted that the Authority has invested more than $1.5 million in upgrading and improving security by:
Increasing its staff by more than 60 per cent in order to meet demands of air carriers and other security considerations necessary for operating an aerodome, improved training, implemented high tech equipment to scan baggage and purchased two Belgian Malinois explosive- detecting dogs to ensure that explosives are not contained in checked luggage.
Meanwhile, Minister Hanna-Martin said, the Authority must work closely with the Department of Civil Aviation, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and United States agencies at the NIA, as well as the newly-developed U.S. Transportation Security Administration, each playing a role in either administration or law enforcement.
