Published On:Wednesday, March 03, 2010

By ALISON LOWE

Tribune Staff Reporter

alowe@tribunemedia.net

A MAJOR US airline has announced that it will be immediately suspending its flights to Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera due to concerns over the airport there.

American Eagle sent an email to its relevant partners in the travel industry yesterday stating that due to "recent changes" at the Governor's Harbour International Airport it is suspending its four days-a-week Miami-Governors Harbour route effective immediately and indefinitely.

The 64-seater plane will now fly into North Eleuthera "until the problems at GHIA have been fixed", according to American Eagle's regional sales manager for the Bahamas and Florida, Tracie Hoo-Glinton, who apologised in the email for the inconvenience.

The airline has been flying the route since late last year.

In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, former tourism minister Obie Wilchcombe yesterday said the Minister of Tourism, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace must provide a "full explanation as to why his ministry has failed to maintain the Governors Harbour International Airport to ensure compliance with FAA Standards."

"The minister must inform the public the last time an audit was conducted on the GHIA and must also disclose when audits were undertaken at all other airports in the Bahamas. It begs the question as to who is asleep at the wheel," said Mr Wilchcombe.

"Although alternative arrangements have been made to accommodate inbound and outbound flights at the North Eleuthera Airport this will seriously inconvenience local and tourist travellers," he added.

Transportation

Ms Hoo-Glinton stated in her email, forwarded to the media by Mr Wilchcombe, that American Eagle is planning on providing bus transportation between the two airports.

"For GHB departing passengers, our customers will be expected to arrive at the airport at least two hours before scheduled departure time to catch the chartered bus. If passengers arrive later than this, then they will be responsible for their own transportation to North Eleuthera to catch the flight. I appreciate any help you can give in advising our mutual customers of these changes, especially given the short notice," she added.

The change to the route means that American Eagle will now be flying to North Eleuthera seven days a week.

"Once we receive an update from the government on the GHB airport, we will resume our operations to this airport and advise accordingly," said the airline official.

Yesterday David Johnson, deputy director of tourism, said the Ministry of Tourism was alerted to American Eagle's plans on Monday night. He said the ministry was not aware of the airline's concerns about the airport as it "doesn't get directly involved in technicalities of airports" but suggested that the Department of Civil Aviation, which has direct responsibility for the maintenance of airports, could have been.

Landing

"The access remains, except there is the inconvenience of landing in North Eleuthera. That's an interim measure while technical matters that need to be done get done," said Mr Johnson.

Asked if he was aware how soon necessary adjustments might be made to the airport, Mr Johnson said he expected to be updated on this by yesterday evening or this morning.

As for whether the issues deterring American Eagle from landing in Governor's Harbour could affect other airlines which service the airport, Mr Johnson said this is unlikely.

American Eagle's plane is "by far the largest" that lands in Governor's Harbour and "brings requirements that may be more onerous compared to those of a 19-seater plane," he noted.

In a statement released to ZNS news late last night, Mr Vanderpool Wallace said the Governor's Harbour airport has not been downgraded but is undergoing systemic improvements and the changes at the airport referred to by American Eagle are "actually improvements regarding the removal of two airline towers that will make flying into the airport safer."

He said Mr Wilchcombe's call for a full explanation of the suspension of service by American Eagle "unfortunately reveals a profound lack of understanding of the airline business."

The minister added that it is as a result of combined initiatives by the Department of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Tourism that American Eagle "has more than doubled its services to the out islands over the course of the last year."