NASSAU, BAHAMAS — There is tremendous growth being witnessed in the private aviation sector, according to a well-known private aviation executive, noting that it is time to ensure that The Bahamas becomes the preferred destination.
Rick Gardner, director of CST Flight Services, which provides flight co-ordination and trip support services to the private aviation industry throughout the Caribbean and Latin America told Eyewitness News, “right now things with private aviation have never been better in general”.
He said: “New aircraft delivery wait times have pushed out into 2024 and 2025 and used aircraft inventories are at record lows with increases in used aircraft pricing. COVID has convinced a lot of people with high net worth who used to fly first class on the airlines to try private travel and it seems like they like it.”
Gardner is a Bahamas Flying Ambassador, a US commercial pilot and flight instructor.
“With The Bahamas $11.8 billion in debt and with this tremendous growth in private aviation, this is the time to be making it easy and attractive to convince them to make The Bahamas their preferred destination,” he said.
“There is never a good time to make it difficult nor expensive for private aircraft operators to fly there and this most certainly would not be a good time.”
