By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper said he ordered a study of regional airport fees to ensure the country’s approach is competitive.

He noted the Airport Authority manages 28 airports that must maintain globally recognisable safety and security standards.

“This must be paid for and, therefore, it cannot be a fee-less system,” he said in the House of Assembly, adding that efforts to improve infrastructure would let the airports justify their fees.

Long Island MP Adrian Gibson called for creating a think tank to review tariffs and fees and the impact these have, saying: “Every time I look around, tickets going up and up and up, you know. I could go to Florida cheaper than I could go home to Long Island.”

East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson raised concerns about increases in landing fees for private commercial aircraft, private flights involving cargo and private recreational flights.

“We would hope that this does not go down the same road that the issue with the boaters went down, and again they say that there was no consultation, no one had spoken to them prior to the increase in those fees and in some cases, the fees would be increased from $50 to $300,” he said.