Bahamian-owned airline SkyBahamas has been booted out of the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).  Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) Director General Captain Charles Beneby revealed as much during a press conference yesterday. 

According to Captain Beneby, there has been a lot of talk, publicly, regarding SkyBahamas, “particularly a court order – an injunction that was granted – and that injunction caused SkyBahamas to have to cease its operation and vacate premises attached to a lease that they had with the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD)”. 

The BCAA is an independent regulatory agency separate and apart from NAD and the two have no connection whatsoever, according to Captain Beneby. 

“SkyBahamas is not operating currently. They have been ordered out of the Lynden Pindling International Airport. The BCAA had nothing to do with that.  That is a separate matter all together,” Captain Beneby reiterated. 

SkyBahamas occupied Terminal A at LPIA, when it relocated its operations from the Blake Road Plaza in 2013, citing tough economic times. 

At the time SkyBahamas’ CEO Captain Randy Butler told The Bahama Journal that the company decided to relocate as a cost-saving measure. 

He added that the company had experienced a steady loss in business during 2013 and as a result, had begun restructuring, including slashing its workforce. 

At the time, the airline was also in the middle of a dispute with Bahamas Pilots Alliance (BPA) after terminating 10 of its pilots. 

As for present day, Captain Beneby gave little information on SkyBahamas being put out of LPIA, adding that it is a matter being dealt with by the court system, while insisting that he would not speak to SkyBahamas’ financial position.  
 
“The claim that the authority somehow shut SkyBahamas down and prevented SkyBahamas from continuing its operation is unfounded,” Captain Beneby said. 

The Bahama Journal reached out to NAD, which stated that “NAD is not in a position to comment in this regard”.

As for why Sky Bahamas is currently grounded, Captain Beneby said among other things, the airline did not resubmitted its application for its Air Operators Certificate in time. 

“The regulations require an applicant to submit a request for renewal at least 30 days prior to the expiration of that certificate. That application was received in the office of the Safety Oversight Department on the 21 of June, just nine days prior to the expiration of that certificate,” Captain Beneby said.