'Freeport won't work' if airport fear realised

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A top Grand Bahama hotelier yesterday warned that "Freeport's business model won't work" unless its airport is rapidly restored to a standard where it can receive US and international flights.

Magnus Alnebeck, Pelican Bay's general manager, told Tribune Business that Grand Bahama International Airport's owners needed to be pressed on their plans for rebuilding the terminals and infrastructure devastated by Hurricane Dorian given the facility's critical importance to the island's tourism and industrial economy.

Acknowledging that the airport's controlling owner, Hutchison Whampoa, has form for failing to repair hurricane-ravaged Freeport assets, Mr Alnebeck suggested that both the government and prospective Grand Lucayan purchasers sound it out over whether it was prepared to sell the asset.

He argued that the Minnis administration, in particular, should have a "serious sit down" with both Hutchison and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) to discuss whether the duo would be willing to sell their respective 50 percent stakes.

With the US pre-clearance facility unlikely to return until Grand Bahama International Airport was restored to an acceptable condition, the Pelican Bay chief said Freeport and the wider island faced the threat of "being converted to an out island very quickly".

He argued that it "would not even become an Exuma or Eleuthera", as both those islands receive international flights, but rather "an Andros" located just 80 miles from South Florida unless international airlift came back "as quickly as possible".

"To be able to get US airlift back in, and Bahamasair back up and running, is vital - not only for tourism but for the Freeport business model with all the industrials," Mr Alnebeck told Tribune Business. "Without the airport the Freeport model doesn't really work.

"Without the airport opening up Freeport gets converted to an Out Island very quickly, but an Out Island without airlift from the US. We don't even become an Exuma or Eleuthera because they have airlift from the US. We become an Andros."

Mr Alnebeck's comments echo fears and scepticism privately expressed to Tribune Business by other Freeport businessmen and residents in recent days over the willingness of the Grand Bahama International Airport's to rebuild the facility following the likely multi-million dollar devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian.

Such concerns have likely been sparked by Hutchison Whampoa's actions at the Grand Lucayan following Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, when it pocketed the insurance proceeds received but failed to repair the resort - ultimately leaving this to the Government (Bahamian taxpayers) along with the task of finding a new owner.

Mr Alnebeck suggested that Hutchison should be "given the benefit of the doubt" over the airport until its intentions become clear. He added that a Grand Bahama Tourist Board meeting last week said the airport's owners were waiting for the insurance loss adjusters and structural engineers "to go in an assess how bad the damage is".

"I haven't seen any official statement from them," the Pelican Bay chief said of the airport's owners. "They and the government need to decide if they will do something temporary. You can do a terminal temporarily with tents and barracks, and that's a decision that needs to be taken.

"We need as quickly as possible to have the ability to get commercial airlift back for Freeport. How can you try to attract manufacturing, industrials without being able to fly directly from the US to Freeport. It's almost impossible."

Besides the daily flow of inbound and outbound tourism visitors, Grand Bahama International Airport has provided a vital transportation artery for the likes of the Grand Bahama Shipyard and Freeport Container Port to bring in hundreds of skilled expatriate workers on short and medium-term contracts.

While its runway is currently open to receive domestic and Dorian relief flights, the loss of the terminal buildings and associated infrastructure threatens to deal a significant blow to Freeport's commercial revival unless rapidly resolved.

While Western Air and Bahamasair are flying domestic routes into Freeport, Mr Alnebeck said Bahamasair was "checking people in in the city and bringing them to the airport".

"It's going to take time to get those terminals rebuilt because they did have severe damage," he added. "They must have been under at least six to seven feet of water for 24 hours. You can imagine what that does to systems, computers and luggage racks. It's a major job to rebuild."

The airport's fate is also vital to the Royal Caribbean/ITM Group joint venture's $65m Grand Lucayan purchase and harbour redevelopment, since the stopover visitors generated by incoming US airlift will be vital to supplementing the cruise guests and filling rooms overnight.

Tribune Business understands that key participants in the Grand Lucayan negotiations, including the resort's chairman, Michael Scott, have been exploring whether the possibility exists for the Government to take over Grand Bahama International Airport. Dorian's devastation may have provided just such an opportunity.

"Maybe somebody should suggest they buy the airport," Mr Alnebeck told Tribune Business of the RoyalCaribbean/ITM venture. "To me it would make sense if they're going to operate 1,300 rooms on the island and be a major investor in the tourism industry.

"You would want maybe at least a say in that airport, and maybe they would prefer to have a government to speak to rather than another private entity. I think that would be a wonderful idea."

The Pelican Bay chief admitted the thought that Hutchison would not reinvest any insurance proceeds into the airport's revival had "crossed my mind as well". He added: "Hutchison doesn't have a proven track record of spending insurance proceeds widely in Grand Bahama, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

"I suggest that the Government has a serious sit down with them and ask how much they really want for the airport. You have a good company operating Lynden Pindling International Airport (Nassau Airport Development Company) that maybe could be an operator of the airport in Grand Bahama as well."

Mr Alnebeck, meanwhile, said US pre-clearance facility workers had left Grand Bahama and were unlikely to return "until they have acceptable working conditions, which is probably very far down the line" especially given the absence of international flights.

Comments

proudloudandfnm says...

If they refuse to repair the airport TAKE IT FROM THEM. Buy what? Eminent domain it right out from under them....

Posted 26 September 2019, 3:05 p.m. Suggest removal

cx says...

Exactly

Posted 26 September 2019, 5:11 p.m. Suggest removal

yeahyasee says...

Thanks for the info learnt something new today.

Posted 27 September 2019, 1:49 p.m. Suggest removal

cjohnjtang says...

Taking the GBIA from the shareholders by any means including 'eminent domain' would be a blood bath, Hutch will fight it tooth and nail, having far deeper pockets than the Government, taking it all the way to the Privy Council, as they have done on other issues. The resulting brawl will do irreparable damage to the reputation of the Bahamas in the world investor view. Look at Hutch's annual report, the Bahamas barely makes a mention, however you are kidding yourself if you think they are simply going to walk away. Like it or not we need to quickly deal with the situation as is.

Posted 7 November 2019, 3:45 p.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Hutchison Whampoa and the Government of Red China are laughing most heartily at the stupidity of our ***D***ucking and ***D***odging ***D***oc. Yes indeed, our ***Size Triple D*** PM is once again ripe for the squeezing. The first royal screwing of Triple D Minnis and the Bahamian people was the abandonment of the Grand Lucayan Hotel by Hutchison Whampoa in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. Our second royal screwing will be the abandonment by Hutchison Whampoa of their 50% interest in the Grand Bahama International Airport which has been decimated by Hurricane Dorian. But our corrupt politicians who 'get theirs' will continue granting more and more generous concessions and bailouts of every kind to Red Chinese enterprises as the brutal Xi-led communist regime seeks to grow its sphere of influence in our part of the world by 'buying' corrupt politicians.

Posted 26 September 2019, 5:55 p.m. Suggest removal

BMW says...

One phone call, one statement rebuild or lose it.

Posted 27 September 2019, 5:41 a.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

We also need to know what's going on with Port Lucaya, still closed a month after and it was hardly damaged. Has another owner abandoned their property? We need to know.....

Posted 27 September 2019, 10:38 a.m. Suggest removal

sealice says...

Sounds just like all the other pompous arsses in freeport - another out island just like Exuma and Eleuthera??!!>> you know what Exuma and Eleuthera have to say to YOU??? Those islands are so much more beautiful then your low rent dog house in the North - you got any beaches left?? Where were they trying to take tourists to feed pigs some frickin rock?? Come on you only wish you could be more like the real outislands of the Bahamas (and get repeat visitors) instead of the out island that is the most prime example of failed investment and being completely ignored by the government even with a ministry in your name.

Posted 27 September 2019, 1:33 p.m. Suggest removal

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