NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamian aviation industry needs to be paid its “proper respect” an industry operator said yesterday.
Anthony K Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Eyewitness News that while while the COIVD-19 pandemic has caused major financial challenges for the sector – there is potential for a rebound.
“We just need proper respect for the industry,” he said.
“We still have not determined as a nation the direction we ought to be going for Bahamian aviation. We’re not getting bang for buck in aviation. but the potential is there. There needs to be a national plan for the industry. The nation at large has been brought to account during this pandemic and we need to do things differently.”
Hamilton said: “Stakeholders need to be included in the decision making. While we have not been totally absent we have not been given the kind of attention we ought to have been given. There needs to be proper consultation and inclusion of the skills and talent within the aviation industry that the nation can benefit from and that encompasses development in the Family Islands.”
Hamilton noted that the industry like many others has been impacted financially by the pandemic, which has affected travel not only domestically but globally.
“Solvency is a but I believe the potential is there for a rebound,” he said.
“This is a very competitive industry. As a nation we have not done a good job with statistical data and that’s something we need to fix in this process. Our decisions need to be guided by data.”
