Friday repatriation flight postponed, new date TBA

Friday repatriation flight postponed, new date TBA
Bahamasair Boeing 737-700. (FILE PHOTO)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A Bahamasair flight originally scheduled to repatriate Bahamians from Fort Lauderdale tomorrow has been postponed.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed to “administrative reasons” for the sudden cancelation.

The ministry noted that information on the new travel date will be provided as soon as possible.

“The inconvenience is regretted,” the statement said.

“This postponement allows those who wish to return additional time to get the COVID 19 test from an accredited laboratory.”

The ministry further noted that the decision was made in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Bahamasair.

On Tuesday, the airline announced that it would conduct another COVID-19 relief flight from Fort Lauderdale to New Providence on Friday at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the flight were priced at $150 but existing Bahamasair tickets were accepted and travel dates could have been changed without penalty.

Returning residents are being advised that they must be tested for the virus at an accredited lab – of which all costs are personally incurred.

The negative diagnostic, however, is only valid for 10 days.

To date, there have been three rounds of flights to repatriate Bahamian citizens who have been stranded abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic and country’s border closures.

The Bahamas began repatriating Bahamians from Florida earlier this month, making it mandatory for those individuals to receive a COVID-19 test before being allowed on the flight to return to The Bahamas.

Just over 520 people have been repatriated since the first flight on May 8.

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.