THE Ministry of Tourism says details of the financing for Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment will be disclosed “in short order” as the government finalises funding and management agreements for the long-delayed project.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said it is in the final stages of securing funding and concluding an airport management deal to “allow construction to proceed and ensure the delivery of a modern, world-class facility”. It said Manchester Airport Group will remain a key partner helping to shape the airport’s development and management, but “their role has not been and will not be to provide funding”, adding that a Bahamian consortium of contractors is part of the delivery team.

Nonetheless, opposition leader Michael Pintard accused the government of misleading the public about the project’s financing, pointing to earlier assurances that $200m had been “secured and drawn down” to rebuild the airport. “Now the Deputy Prime Minister is contradicting the Prime Minister: not only was the $200m never drawn down, the DPM’s version is that the funding never materialised,” he said. “This is not a slip of the tongue, it is deception.” Mr Pintard called for full disclosure of contracts and financing term sheets, and a side-by-side comparison if the government has shifted from the previously touted UK Export Finance/Banco Santander structure.

The ministry’s update follows months of uncertainty. Last year, the government signed an agreement with Aerodrome Limited, Manchester Airport Group (MAG) Limited, and BHM Construction International UK for the $200m transformation of GBIA, which sustained critical damage during Hurricane Dorian. Since that hurricane in 2019, timelines have repeatedly slipped: demolition was promised in 2023 and again in February this year, when officials said work would begin within 30 days. Substantive construction has yet to start, and the government’s target of a new hub by 2025 now appears unlikely.

Mr Pintard also criticised what he described as a pattern of opaque procurement across airport projects, citing direct negotiations and long concessions in Bimini and North Eleuthera without open, competitive bidding. “Show the contracts,” he said, demanding the government confirm whether any funds were ever received by the state, outline what was signed or abandoned, and publish an updated construction schedule and the country’s financial exposure. “Enough is enough. Grand Bahama does not need more empty words. We need results,” he said.