By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet minister yesterday said there would be “a lot of moving parts” involved in negotiating the Grand Bahama International Airport’s (GBIA) acquisition if the owners decided to sell.
Dionisio D’Aguilar, minster of tourism and aviation, told reporters outside the Cabinet Office: “I think that the present owners (the Grand Bahama Port Authority and Hutchison Whampoa) of the Grand Bahama Airport Company have to conclude on the decision to sell; if they want to do that and the terms would obviously have to be negotiated. There are a lot of moving parts of as a part of that negotiation that I’d rather not discuss in the public domain.
“Just be aware that the operator of that airport is potentially looking to sell, and the Government of the Bahamas is potentially looking to buy. The particulars and the nuances, and the facts of the deal, are not really ready to be discussed in the public domain.”
Mr D’Aguilar last month confirmed the Government’s interest in potentially acquiring Grand Bahama International Airport amid concern that the GBPA and Hutchison were both “reluctant” to invest the necessary eight-figure sum to restore the Dorian-ravaged terminal facility to international aviation standards.
Sarah St George, the GBPA’s vice-chairman, recently confirmed that the airport has been a loss-making operation for its owners, who each hold a 50 percent stake. Hutchison has management control and, while acknowledging that the government is an obvious candidate to purchase the asset, Ms St George said other unnamed parties were also eyeing its acquisition.
Pointing to issues that are occurring among the airport’s owners, Mr D’Aguilar also said: “There are a lot of things going on in the background that they have to sort out if they are to do it that have not been done. Let that play out and, when they are prepared to make a formal request for the government to acquire, I’m sure we will consider it at the time.”
Comments
The_Oracle 4 years, 3 months ago
nuances? You are the Government! Moving parts? what moving parts? GBIA is an airfield! The owners have no interest or money to rebuild. Neither do you, but put it under Resolve and link it to the RCL hotel deal. They need it, as do the people of G.B. By the time you get anywhere near to a decision it it will be overgrown with bush!
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