By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Bahamasair has been operating with just 50 percent of its ATR turbo-prop fleet since mid-August after its most recently-acquired aircraft joined others in maintenance, it was revealed yesterday.

Tracy Cooper, Bahamasair’s managing Director, said the national flag carrier expects to be operating with four ATR aircraft by early October following a period of reduced fleet availability due to scheduled heavy maintenance.

“Up until I think the 12th of August, there were four ATRs flying out of the six that we had. We subsequently removed another one for heavy maintenance that is scheduled. We will get back to a four-aircraft fleet some time around the beginning of October,” said Mr Cooper.

He added that the latest grounded aircraft is the newest addition to the fleet - a 70-seat ATR 72 acquired earlier this year to support expanded domestic service. “[The newly acquired ATR] was undergoing some heavy maintenance, and that's the one that we intend to have back in the sky in October," the Bahamasair managing director said.

Mr Cooper acknowledged that the reduced fleet has limited the airline’s ability to increase service to underserved destinations, particularly in light of increased demand following Silver Airways’ withdrawal from the market.

“Unfortunately, Bahamasair only has a fleet of six ATR airplanes. Now, I highlight the ATR aircraft because that's the same size as to what the Silver fleet would have been. We have done the best we can to fill in the voids,” said Mr Cooper.

“For instance, we were flying from Exuma to Fort Lauderdale, and we are looking to pick up one or two other flights again in October, but the only impediment that we have at this particular time is just the amount of airplanes that we have. We just wish we had a few more, and we would have been able to handle that situation even a little bit more.”

Silver Airways abruptly ceased operations on June 11 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, disrupting airlift to several key destinations, including North Eleuthera, Governor’s Harbour, Exuma, Marsh Harbour, Bimini, Freeport and New Providence.

Addressing the matter in the House of Assembly, deputy prime minister Chester Cooper said the Government is working to increase capacity on affected routes through Bahamasair and pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in closing the airlift gap left by Silver Airways' collapse.

Former Silver Airways employees in Exuma and Eleuthera are collectively owed more than $100,000 in redundancy payments, with approximately $77,000 due to workers in Exuma and around $30,000 owed in Eleuthera.