By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian aviation executives yesterday revealed the fatal Andros plane crash will “take a toll on the industry” and “stay with us for a while” as an Opposition MP challenged the level of regulatory oversight applied prior to the crash.

Anthony Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune Business that “our hearts go out to the families directly impacted” by the ten lives that were lost while predicting that the entire domestic sector will “take a deep introspective look” at operations as it braces for tougher scrutiny in the accident’s wake.

He spoke before Dr Andre Rollins, the Long Island MP, in a statement issued last night drew attention to past safety incidents and accidents involving the plane’s owner, Flamingo Air, as he directly questioned the level of oversight provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas (CAAB).

“When did the Authority last inspect this aircraft and operator, and after eight accidents and incidents involving this operator since 2012, what exactly was the Authority watching before Friday?” Dr Rollins charged. He also challenged whether the flight was actually being operated by Flamingo Air, or if it had been leased to a third-party operator; whether there was valid insurance in effect and it covered the passengers; and whose air operator certificate (AOC) the flight was made under.

“Without engaging in any speculation, what we do know is that in the wake of the crash, the Government suspended Flamingo Air's AOC,” Dr Rollins said. “Therefore, concerns about aircraft safety are already presumed to be a part of the question surrounding what led to this aviation accident. The public has a right to know whether the Government will fully and transparently provide the answer….

“We must be honest with ourselves. Because our weather is calm and our flights are short, we have come to believe that flying is without risk. It is not. The most dangerous minutes of any flight are take-off and landing, and a ten-minute hop compresses the two highest risk moments into a very small window of time.

“For too long, gear collapses and close calls have been treated as stories to tell instead of warnings to act on,” Dr Rollins further asserted. “Luck is not a safety system, and a culture like that does not fix itself or protect those who rely on safe air transportation between our islands. It is fixed by a regulator focused on safety, industry engagement and the education and protection of licensees and the travelling public.

“Aviation is the lifeline of our islands. We must restore the pride, diligence and immense level of responsibility required to safely transport our people and our tourists throughout our archipelago. Our aviation industry must operate on one fundamental premise: That a Bahamian licensed aircraft is a safe aircraft.”

Meanwhile, Captain Randy Butler, the former Sky Bahamas principal, told this newspaper it is possible that the Independence Day crash will undermine Bahamian public and traveller confidence in the domestic aviation industry. However, both he and Mr Hamilton agreed that, given The Bahamas’ geography as an archipelago, there is little choice but to fly for quick and efficient travel. And both pointed out that there remain many compliant, safe operators.

“Unfortunately it may, because of how many accidents and the couple of fatal accidents we have had in the past couple of years,” Mr Butler replied, when asked if traveller confidence has been shaken. But, while acknowledging that all Bahamian carriers may now be viewed in the same light, he added: “The system is in place, the regulations are in place, and there are other aviation operators doing safe flights every day - tens of hundreds of them.

“Yes, it may have an impact. It’s throwing a blanket, but there are other people. Maybe there should be things done by Civil Aviation to show they are doing their job; that there are systems in place and there are enforcement programmes.”

Mr Hamilton, also administrative director at Southern Air charter, told Tribune Business that Friday’s tragedy will hit the entire Bahamian aviation industry hard. Besides the timing, coinciding with a national holiday and 53rd independence anniversary, he added that the small, close-knit sector is “like a family” and has the approach that a passenger’s death has the same impact as losing a close family member or relative.

“It’s absolutely a wake-up call when an incident occurs, and this one is going to remain with us for a while,” he said. “It happened on Independence Day so it will stand out as a constant memory for not only the families impacted directly but the nation at large has to pay attention to this.

“I repeatedly point out that, in the industry, safety comes first. We won’t know anything until the investigation is completed into this matter, but it’s a concerning situation for the industry, the public, the authorities and the operators at large. It’s something we need to keep before us to deal with this.”

Mr Hamilton, reiterating that safety is the priority in all decisions made relating to the Bahamian aviation sector, added: “Our hearts go out to the families who have been impacted, particularly when you think about the national celebrations and occasion. This one is going to stay with us for a while yet.

“The domestic operators are a family. We’re hearing a lot, and it will take a toll on them all. It will take a toll, given the environment we are in and how important Bahamian aviation is to the future development of the country with it being an archipelago of islands. This will take a toll for the industry at large, and will not be taking it lightly. The operators will be taking a deep introspective look.”

Forecasting that regulators will now subject the industry to greater oversight scrutiny, Mr Hamilton said: “We all have to work together. It’s all of us that are in it, and we are all impacted in it. When we have these experiences, it impacts all of us. It is a serious toll. The lives of passengers are like the lives of family members. The industry has a responsibility to the community to operate at a very high standard.”

He voiced confidence that Franklyn Cambridge, the pilot of the doomed flight, would have done everything possible to avert catastrophe and “drawn on every bit of his training and experience to have a different outcome”.

Mr Hamilton said The Bahamas also has to consider the impact on tourism given that the domestic aviation industry is responsible for moving visitors around this nation and providing critical access to the Family Islands.

However, he added that The Bahamas has “some of the better pilots in the world”, saying he knew of several who had begun their careers as porters and worked their way up to find jobs in international markets.