The Tribune

By Annelia Nixon

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Final bids to develop an airport hotel on six acres at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) are due by the deadline of February 27, 2026, it was revealed yesterday.

Dexter Bodie, Nassau Airport Development Company’s (NAD) manager of business development, told the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association's (BHTA) 73rd annual general meeting that site visits were completed in October and the period when potential bidders submit questions and answers is ongoing.

“In September 2025, an RFP (request for proposal) for an airport hotel was issued to short-listed proponents interested in designing, building, financing and operating a hotel on approximately six acres of NAD-owned land,” Mr Bodie said. “Site visits were completed in October to help proponents better understand the layout and development potential of the area.

“We are currently in the question and answer portion of the process, which remains open until mid-December, with final proposals due on February 27 next year. This project is a major component of NAD's land side development master plan, and supports our broader goal of creating a gateway district at LPIA (Lynden Pindling International Airport) and, ultimately, reducing dependency on aeronautical revenue.”

LPIA, in its partnership with NAD as its operators, is also initiating an improved lounge experience for travellers at LPIA. Mr Bodie said the airport will receive additional retail dining and service opportunities as NAD is exploring options for the short, medium and long-term.

He added: “LPIA 2.0 will support long-term growth while improving the guest experience from curb-side to air side. Planned upgrades include the redesign of curb-side and terminal approach areas to improve traffic flow and ease of navigation for airport guests.

“Smart check-in options such as hotel kiosk group processing and other options will reduce waiting times. Airside improvements are expected to add more gates and create more efficient air traffic flow on the air side. Upgrades to improve the processing of passengers will include improvements within US Customs and Border Protection, helping to reduce bottlenecks and speed up the overall travel experience. Expanded post-security amenities will strengthen our retail and dining options for travellers.

“And as we build LPIA with every guest in mind, there will be a specific focus on universal accessibility, ensuring that the airport remains welcoming and easy to navigate to all of our guests.”

Mr Bodie reported steady passenger performance at LPIA, including during peak travel periods for 2025. He said this year’s Thanksgiving projections of more than 35,000 passengers align closely to 2024 figures when 35,355 passengers were processed.

“Early indicators suggest that actual numbers will fall within the same range or slightly higher,” Mr Bodie said. “For context, in 2019 we reached more than 30,192 passengers, which was a record in a banner year during pre-pandemic travel times. In 2022 we saw a strong recovery from the pandemic, and came in at roughly 32,000 passengers. 2023 was a record-breaking year all around for us, with more than 45,000 Thanksgiving travellers.

“From an operations standpoint, this Thanksgiving weekend was busy but smooth thanks to our collaboration with airport partners. We expect similar performance during the upcoming Christmas holiday through to New Year's Day. Our focus remains on operational efficiency and ensuring our guests have a great experience at LPIA.” 

With Porter Airlines having touched down at LPIA on November 26, Mr Bodie said services from Toronto and Ottawa will officially begin on December 13, while service to Montreal is scheduled to commence on February 5, 2026. 

“In addition to Porter Airlines, we continue to have discussions with several airline partners in our ongoing efforts to bring additional airlift and new service to the destination,” Mr Bodie said. “This push to bolster airlift will sustain steady passenger numbers and offer new growth opportunities for Nassau and Paradise Island.”

Mr Bodie said NAD has recently finalised a memorandum of agreement for a commitment to maintain more than 98 percent uptime for explosive device and baggage handling systems. “This agreement lays out stronger expectations for reliability and consistency for our daily operations,” he added.

“To strengthen reliability, we have incorporated on-site support along with emergency repair response when needed. The agreement also includes technical training for our team so that they stay ahead of maintenance needs and system updates. We now have a team of five explosive device system technicians working daily to ensure our systems are ready for peak processing periods. These investments will also help to improve security, speed up passenger processing and support consistent service levels across the airport.”