By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE new Marsh Harbour airport will be operational today following more than a year of delays, according to Bahamas Information Services.

Deputy director Elcott Coleby yesterday confirmed reports from residents that the multi-million dollar airport at Abaco, initially expected to open in October 2012, will be open for business today, with a ceremony planned for tomorrow.

When asked for an update on the opening yesterday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Brave Davis said he could not provide one. Last night, however, Mr Coleby confirmed that the new terminal will be open following reports on social media by residents in Abaco.

The Ingraham administration broke ground for the Leonard M Thompson International Airport in September 2011. At that time it was estimated it would take 10 months to complete the facility. Later it was determined that the airport would not be fully operational until July 2013, but that date was abandoned and December 2013 was eyed as the official deadline.

During that time, Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin predicted that Abaconians would see the airport open in January 2014. She then told The Tribune last month that officials had set their sights on the end of April 2014.

At the end of last month Mr Davis told reporters that although most of the work at the airport was complete, the facility was not scheduled to open until sometime in May because of numerous factors.

The initial budget for the airport was $27 million. However, the Christie administration in December 2012 said an additional $11.9 million would be needed to ensure it was fully functional. With that, the total cost of the airport reaches nearly $40 million.

Included in the estimate was an additional $6 million to extend the runway, $3.8 million to build a freight building, $230,000 for that building’s architectural fees and $1.9 million in other architectural fees.