By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Gvernment has begun talks with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over management of Bahamian airspace, a Cabinet Minister yesterday disclosing it was seeking an arrangement to share revenues from overflight fees and exempt Bahamian airlines from these charges.

While she could not speak to the revenue potential for the Bahamas, Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of transport and aviation, said the funds generated would be used for investment in aviation sector infrastructure.

The FAA controls overflight rights for this nation above a certain altitude. While the Christie administration had brought the airspace management issue to the fore during its 2002-2007 tenure, these discussions mark the first time this nation and the US have met face-to-face on the issue.

“We shall from this engagement be seeking an accord as it relates to the management of Bahamas’ air space and a redefinition of that air space, which is consistent with the geographical reality of our archipelago,” said Mrs Hanna-Martin.

“The management arrangement will, in the first instance, we anticipate, lead to a sharing of revenues emanating from overflight fees and the exemption of Bahamas-registered aircraft flying in Bahamas’ air space from the levying of such fees

“We expect that our talks will be undergirded by clarity and cordiality, and a prevailing mutual respect, and that we will very quickly find common ground on all of the matters I have stated and any other matters which may arise in the course of discussions.”

Carey Fagan, the FAA’s executive director for international affairs, said: “This initial gathering offers an important chance to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Bahamian government on the airspace management challenges, and the role each of us plays in meeting those challenges.

“We need only to look at a map to see why our relationship with the Bahamas is so important to both countries’ aeronautical interests. Over the past 60 years, we have forged a successful partnership that has brought both safety and efficiency gains for air travellers throughout the region. By working together, we have been able to address difficulties that inevitably arise with an increased demand for air travel in an already very busy corridor.”

Mr Fagan added: “Today’s discussion is the first step in a dialogue that will allow us to find mutually beneficial solutions to the challenges we face: Increased air traffic, new carriers and the need for improved oversight and radar and safety data sharing. This dialogue will help shape the aviation relationship between our two countries for years to come.”