By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Resort owners and realtors yesterday hailed the securing of $55m for North Eleuthera Airport’s transformation as “a game changer if they can pull off a fully functioning” gateway to the high-end destination.

Ben Simmons, proprietor of the Ocean View and The Other Side properties on Harbour Island and mainland Eleuthera, respectively, told Tribune Business that an expanded and improved North Eleuthera Airport has “been a long time coming” with its upgrade having been talked about and planned for at least a decade.

Speaking after the Government signed an agreement to secure a $55m concessional loan from Saudi Arabia to finance the necessary overhaul, he added that despite “patchwork” improvements financed by the area’s resort and tourism operators there is simply insufficient space and amenities to accommodate the visitor and aviation demand.

As a result, Mr Simmons told this newspaper that both guests and local residents are forces to “stand in the rain, stand in the hot sun and get eaten by mosquitos” - especially when three to four flights are either arriving or due to leave at the same time.

Recalling how he once had a guest planning to fly a private Boeing 737 jet directly into North Eleuthera from Toronto, he added that this plan had to be aborted because the airport’s runway was not long enough to accommodate the plane when trying to take-off with a fall fuel load.

Voicing optimism that the planned airport transformation will also include new and upgraded runways, as well as taxi aprons, along with expanded terminal facilities, Mr Simmons said enabling larger planes to fly into North Eleuthera could help reduce ticket prices, and improve and grow access to the destination to new source visitor markets.

“It’s definitely a game changer just in terms of the accommodating the demand for the destination and ease of access,” Mr Simmons told Tribune Business of the plans seen following the loan signing. “I don’t know if it’s going to mean economies of scale in a plane so people can get here a little less expensively, but just in terms of amenities and having a functioning airport where things don’t fall off the roof or AC doesn’t work...

“It’s going to completely transform the experience from a guest standpoint. Definitely a game changer.” The resort owner added that the industry has previously “donated funds” to provide a sheltered area for passengers and upgrade the lavatories, but described these as “patchwork” improvements.

“We’re the second or third busiest airport in the country, and there’s simply not enough space,” Mr Simmons said. “People checking in or arriving, if there’s tree or four airlines at the same time, you have people standing outside in the rain, standing outside in the hot sun getting eaten by mosquitos. There are not enough chairs.

“They did make upgrades to create a makeshift departure lounge with A/C and chairs. There are no other amenities. If they [the Government[ can pull it off it will be a game changer. We’re going to have a situation where we have over demand versus supply and hopefully that means higher occupancy rates across the board and a smoother experience for everyone in the sector.

“It’s going to completely transform the experience for guests whether going south or coming to Harbour Island. It’s been a long time coming, that’s the bottom line. I think the first wind of it was 2014 or 2015.” The Briland hotelier also voiced optimism that the North Eleuthera Airport transformation will involve improving and expanding the runways.

“We had, at one stage, a client wanting to bring in a 737 direct from Toronto into Eleuthera for a wedding, and the issue was the runway was not big enough to cause a plane that had a full set of fuel to take off,” Mr Simmons said. “The length of the runway is a fundamental issue. It needs to be above 7,000 to 8,000 feet long.

“If that is on the drawing board, which I understand it is, it means larger planes get in here, which means less expensive seats and wider demand from source markets.” James Malcolm, a Briland-based realtor with the Bahamas Property Group, told Tribune Business that North Eleuthera needs an airport to match the high-end, wealthy client base that the destination attracts.

“It’s huge,” he said of the promised upgrade. “Needless to say it was much overdue. We need it.... We fly from little dinky North Eleuthera Airport to places like Miami and Hartsfield in Atlanta. The contrast is astronomical. It’s high time we had a world-class airport facility in North Eleuthera to cater to our clientele. The time has come. It will certainly change the arrival and departure experience.”

Thomas Sands, the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce president, told Tribune Business he needed more information on the planned airport upgrade as he was not present for Monday’s signing ceremony. In particular, he wanted to know timelines and whether construction contracts have gone out to bid or been awarded.

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, said tendering for the construction work is set to begin now with contracts awarded in this year’s fourth quarter. However, some sources also questioned whether the $55m will be sufficient to transform both the airport terminal buildings and runways in accordance with the Government’s plans.

“I’m a little bit sceptical whether the amount of money is sufficient for what they have planned,” one source added. “A new terminal and supposedly a new runway seems a bit optimistic.”