By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A $400M heads of agreement was yesterday signed by the Davis administration with the Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) to enhance meteorological services and improve flight tracking.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the partnership will “strengthen our national resilience” through the establishment of what is described as the country’s first NextGEN meteorological watch office.

Mr Davis said the agreement will “bring with it an investment of over $400m over three years”.

“This is a major step forward. The new Watch Office, alongside BACSWN’s advanced weather and flight-tracking technologies, will allow The Bahamas to monitor atmospheric and aviation conditions in real-time across every part of our archipelago. It will place us among the most capable meteorological jurisdictions in the region,” said Mr Davis.

“But this is about more than new equipment or modern tools. It is about transforming a critical public institution, the Department of Meteorology, into one that is not only more effective, but more financially sustainable. One that continues to serve the public interest, while opening the door to new partnerships, revenue streams, and regional leadership.”

Michael Strachan, group financial advisor of BACSWN, said the company will be submitting a proposal to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to increase overflight fees to $775 per flight and the government will receive $550 per flight.

“In coordination with the Department of Meteorology, we’ll be installing and upgrading and maintaining current equipment, and based on that, we will be going to ICAO with a proposal for a fee restructure regarding the overflight fees,” said Mr Strachan.

“Based on that process, which we anticipate to take anywhere between six months to a year, once that’s completed, we’ve met all the ICAO requirements, we’ll be able to increase the overflight fee charges from its current structure to what we estimate to be about $775 per flight, and the government will have a net benefit of $550 per flight.”

He explained the fee adjustment will provide the government with over $300m a year as about 600,000 flights traverse our airspace annually.

He said BACSWN will also be providing real-time meteorological services, live flight tracking, crash search and rescue as well as improving health and safety services.

“There’s a number of infrastructural improvements that would be coming into play. We’ll be through a mechanism that’s in the HOA, improving the health and safety services throughout The Bahamas providing ambulances, fire trucks, more emergency services, as well as upgrading the existing weather infrastructure throughout the country, radars and also upgrades to hospitals and clinics throughout the entire country,” said Mr Strachan.

Mr Davis noted that he had just returned from the US where he met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and he noted with regard to the US: “It appears they have adopted and have endorsed this project. And they are trying to get BACSWN too... and they have provided some funds.”