Minister Chester Cooper addresses challenges faced by BahamasAir, assures swift resolution

Nassau, Bahamas: Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Chester Cooper released a statement addressing the ongoing challenges that the national carrier BahamasAir is facing as legacy issues. He mentioned that the problems that are currently being faced by the airline needs to be solved at the earliest. 

Flight Cancellations of BahamasAir  

Recently there have been numerous flight cancellations both in the domestic and international flight circuits due to disagreements about money owed by the members of Airport Airline & Allied Workers Union (AAAWU) to BahamasAir workers. These cancellations have left many passengers stranded during this festive holiday season. 

Statement of Aviation Minister Chester Cooper

Minister Cooper ensured that both his ministry and the BahamasAir management are fully aware of the issues the passengers are facing and are working comprehensively to address them. The minister stated that the national carrier has been facing lots of trouble in the decade and assured the public that reforms are on the horizon promising significant improvements to ensure efficiency and reliability. 

“BahamasAir has legacy issues from decades and we are working through them. Its an airline that is in need of significant resources and in 2025, we will be applying strategies to reform BahamasAir and put plans to work”, said Aviation Minister Chester Cooper.

Injunction given by Supreme Court in BahamasAir Management vs AAAWU Case

The matter has gone to the Supreme Court where the company has secured an injunction ordering employees to go back to work. The injunction granted by Justice Darron Ellis, has restrained the AAAWU, its officers and members from organizing and taking part in any strike or industrial action whenever they are asked to work. 

The order also restricts the union from inducing, inciting and intimidating BahamasAir staff or encouraging them for not working. Previously in an interview MD of the national airline BahamasAir, Tracy Cooper said some flight attendants, customer service operators, dispatch handlers and ground handlers called in for sick leaves all together leading to severe impact on flight operations and cancellations.

During the Christmas eve and peak holiday season, BahamasAir operates 24 flights per day. 75 percent of the state owned airline employees did not come up for work on Dec 18th 2024 This led to operations of only 5 to 6 flights out of the normal 12 daily flights out of the Lynden Pindling International Airport.