Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin announced on Monday that the government will spend millions of dollars to upgrade additional Family Island airports.
She said $13.8 million will be spent on refurbishing the Marsh Harbour, Abaco airport.
Plans were on the drawing board last year to have the Marsh Harbour airport upgraded. However, Minister Hanna Martin explained that those plans could not be finalized until careful consultations and recommendations were taken into consideration.
"These final plans replace previous plans earlier announced and have been finalized based on the advice of all of the government’s technical advisors and international consultant engineers and airport planners," Minister Hanna Martin said.
The multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the Marsh Harbour airport will include terminal redevelopment, the creation of a parallel runway and the extension and resurfacing of the runway, the minister announced.
The terminal building is to be increased from 10,811 square feet to 20,536 square feet and the runway extended from 5,000 feet to 6,100 feet, she said.
Construction of the terminal building and the runway works are expected to go out to tender in February.
Minster Hanna Martin, who held a press conference at her East Bay Street office, said she felt relieved that after waiting for many years the Abaco residents could finally have a proper airport.
"At least for more than 10 years, the Marsh Harbour airport has been the subject of discussion and sundry announcement. Despite this no significant works have been undertaken at that facility. This is so, even in the face of phenomenal growth of the Abaco economy," Minister Hanna Martin said.
Similar improvements are also scheduled to take place at the Exuma International Airport, she announced.
According to Minister Hanna Martin, airport planners have been hired to design a master plan for the redevelopment of the Exuma airport.
This would include the construction of a new terminal, new fixed based operators and increased and improved runway capacity and air traffic operation.
The minister also said additional repairs are slated for Stella Maris Airport in Long Island.
Minister Hanna Martin said currently a feasibility study is being conducted by the Department of Civil Aviation to see if it would be possible to land 19-seat aircraft at that airport.
The government recently refurbished the runway at a cost of $550,000. Due to the poor conditions of the runway and the safety hazard it posed, officials shut the airport down last year.
"This facility up to that time had little or no rehabilitative works since its original construction and was allowed to deteriorate to a critical state of disrepair which posed life and safety issues," Minister Hanna Martin said.
"I am pleased to announce that additional rehabilitative works are to be undertaken at Stella Maris Airport to create additional apron space which will increase the capacity of the aerodrome permitting it to accommodate Dash 8 aircraft."
The minister said a contractor will be mobilized shortly to commence that work.
In addition to scheduled improvements to the airports, the government has been engaged in an airport runway emergency lighting exercise using solar powered lights.
Minster Hanna Martin said already several airport runways have been completed, including New Bight and Arthur’s Town, Cat Island; Mangrove Cay and Congo Town, Andros; Crooked Island, Acklins; Bimini and Great Harbour Cay.
Other islands slated for the solar emergency lights include Inagua; Ragged Island; Farmer’s Cay, Staniel Cay and Black Point, Exuma and Stella Maris and Deadman’s Cay, Long Island.
Minister Hanna Martin explained that these lights are critical to the residents on those islands because emergency flights were often hampered due to insufficient lighting for takeoff.
She added that prior to the installation of the emergency lights, residents had to use the high beam lights of trucks to light the runway.
The minister said at the end of installation of the emergency lights, all government owned airports in The Bahamas will be equipped with emergency lighting.
