Government to make formal statement on GB airport status
NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Labour Minister Dion Foulkes yesterday confirmed 11 persons employed at the Grand Bahama airport have been laid-off.
“I want to confirm that 11 persons at the Grand Bahama airport in Freeport were laid off,” he said outside Cabinet.
“They were mostly from the security department. I saw reports in the press of some 100 persons and I saw another report that said 60. That is not so.
“Eleven persons were affected. We hope that at the end of the day some of them will be able to be reengaged. The government will be making an official statement with respect to the status of the airport. I am not at liberty to comment further on that at this time,” he said.
The airport, is owned by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and CK Hutchison Holdings and only just last month re-opened to international commercial flights after closing due to Hurricane Dorian in early September.
Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar noted that government is not happy with the state of the airport and the pace of repairs.
D’Aguilar said: “The situation is still very fluid. The government of The Bahamas is still considering its options as it relates to the airport. We are not happy with the pace of repairs at the airport.
“I don’t think we have concretized anything yet. The government is not happy with the current situation and looking to rectify it.”
Grand Bahama stakeholders have repeatedly called for a swift rebuilding of the airport given its importance to the Freeport economy’s survival.
