New North Eleuthera International Airport Works Take Off

ELEUTHERA, BAHAMAS – An Airports Stakeholder’s kick-off meeting, signalled the formal mobilization of works for the new North Eleuthera International Airport.

Stakeholders included Sylvanus Petty – Member of Parliament for North Eleuthera; Dr. Kenneth Romer – Director of Aviation; Directors of Islands Airport Development Company; Officials from The Airport Authority; Chief Counsellors and Local Government Representatives; Representatives from The North Eleuthera Commonage Committee; Ministry of Tourism Officials, Airport Law Enforcement officers, including Royal Bahamas Police Force, Bahamas Customs and Bahamas Immigration, Members of the North Eleuthera Aero Association and other community leaders.

“This project kick-off session represents a significant milestone in advancing to the next phase in the active construction of the airport terminal, that will create unparalleled economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for the island community, attract additional international and domestic airlift and deliver world-class facilities and infrastructure that reflect sustainable and resilient solutions”, said Director of Aviation, Dr. Kenneth Romer.

In March 2023, The Government of The Bahamas, launched the “Family Islands Renaissance Project”, initiating a process to identify a portfolio of airports that required new construction or urgent upgrades to facilities and infrastructure. Since then, construction, in various phases of development, have commenced at over 14 airports throughout the archipelago, inclusive of The North Eleuthera International Airport.

In May of this year, the Project Developers, Island Airport Development Partners, a world class consortium comprising such entities as Phoenix Infrastructure, Plenary Americas and AvPort, an experienced and trusted airport manager and operator, launched Phase 1 of the project by renovating the existing airport terminal and international arrivals section thereby enhancing the overall passenger experience and remedying longstanding safety and conditioning concerns.

“We are excited to launch the second phase of the airport construction, in mid-August, by using local qualified and experienced contractors for preliminary civil works”, said Mike Schutt Director IADP and Sr. Vice President & Group Co-Head, Project Structuring and Investment for Plenary Americas.

Among the imminent civil works updates given were the commencement of site works to include site clearing, grading and pads ahead of the actual building construction scheduled to start in October 2025, with a targeted completion of the new terminal in the third quarter of 2026.

“While our consortium is committed to managing capital financing and importing technical knowledge and operational efficiencies to deliver user experiences aligned with international best practice levels, we have a greater commitment to serving the community of North Eleuthera and ensuring that we train and develop local talent to manage the facilities to achieve profitable levels of performance and economic growth”, said Jeremy Ebie, IADP Director and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Phoenix Infrastructure Group.

Speaking of behalf of the North Eleuthera community, Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of The House of Assembly Sylvanus Petty affirmed that, “This airport development is a long-anticipated dream for North Eleuthera, a proud community that sustainably contributes to our country overall economy. I am pleased that The Government is delivering on its mandate to rescue the economy and empower Bahamians, while making legacy-defining investments in infrastructure”.

Parallel to the development plans for the airport terminal, is the anticipated start of critical airside works in the first quarter of next year, through a project funded by the IDB.