The multimillion-dollar upgrade to Nassau International Airport (NIA) has already produced visible improvements at the countryﾴs main gateway, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt said Monday following a tour of the facility.
Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Peet and senior Airport Authority officials accompanied Minister Pratt on the inspection, assessing security, operations and other needs at NIA.
The Airport Authority in May signed a $35 million contract with UK-based Lagan Holdings International and Earth Tech (Canada) to perform the first phase of a comprehensive overhaul at NIA.
ﾓI must give credit to the Airport Authority because they have done much since we were here the last time,ﾒ Minister Pratt said.
She added, ﾓThey have improved the international departure area; they have done much repairs and some problems with the air conditioning are being addressed right now. We will continue to address the concerns, but I think that we are comfortable that we are making progress here at Nassau International Airport.ﾒ
Speaking at the signing three months ago, Prime Minister Perry Christie said the costly repairs were vital to help reduce the risk ﾓof a disaster waiting to take placeﾒ at the airport.
Although stating that Mondayﾴs tour was a general visit not intended to address any specific concern, Minister Pratt acknowledged that the delegation was interested in inspecting the screening and other security checks performed on visitors upon arrival and departure.
Hundreds of travellers were reportedly forced to wait hours for security screening on Saturday as a machine used to examine luggage reportedly malfunctioned.
The acting prime minister said, however, that the review of traveller screening was only one component of the inspection because officials were also interested in speaking with taxi operators at NIA, customs and immigration officers, janitorial staff, security personnel and other airport employees in addition to reviewing operations at the domestic and international terminals.
ﾓThe gist of our visit here this morning is to more or less assess where we are at the airport in terms of what is needed, what we have done already and the progress we are making in addressing other concerns,ﾒ Minister Pratt said.
Expressing satisfaction with the pace of work on the countryﾴs principal entry point, Labour and Immigration Minister Peet said he was pleased that initiatives recently implemented at NIA have started to pay off.
ﾓWe have come to do a general overview in support of the efforts of Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin and the governmentﾴs effort in upgrading this area,ﾒ Minister Peet said.
He continued, ﾓWe are concerned that we know what the problems are and we see them first hand so that we would be able to fully support our colleague when initiatives are brought to Cabinet.ﾒ ﾠ
A problem in need of immediate attention at the airport, Minister Peet said, is the malfunctioning air conditioning system, which has created much discomfort for NIA employees and travellers.
First phase works at NIA got underway in July when officials broke ground to reconstruct the entire 11,000-foot main runway.
The second phase will comprise upgrades to adjoining aprons, while phase three of the airport upgrade, which will run concurrently with phase two, will entail selecting a private management company to oversee the operation and overall refurbishment of NIA.
Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
