Bahamasair has long been ‘operating in the red’ and former Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe believes the airline should seek a partnership with Baha Mar owner Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited, that’s also in the airlift business.

“They’re in the business of leasing planes. We ought to be talking to them about jet aircrafts and then talking to them about getting aircrafts so that we can begin some services say from England, from the Tri-states like we did before in the 1970s, from Washington or from Las Vegas,” Wilchcombe said.  

“We ought to go after markets that nobody’s coming to Freeport with now and begin that marketing plan and put the money in place for it to happen.” 

He added that local airlines like Western Air and SkyBahamas should not have to compete with Bahamasair for domestic travel.

Instead, Wichcombe said, it should be used to reach new international destinations and bring passengers to Grand Bahama.

That obligation according to Wilchcombe, should not fall on the nation’s flag carrier.

“Bahamasair should not have to be responsible for so many of the domestic routes,” he said.

“You have Western Air and others that can carry that.  It’s also unfair for companies like Western Air to be competing with Bahamasair because Bahamasair is using the state capital.

“Western Air’s owners have to find money out of their own pockets, so does SkyBahamas, so does Flamingo Airlines and all the others. They should cover the domestic routes.

“In the meantime, Bahamasair should be focused on creating new routes for Bahamasair to Grand Bahama.”  

With a strategic plan Wilchcombe said the government can begin to change the game with Bahamasair.