Residents: Mayaguana is No Longer Behind God’s Back

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MAYAGUANA , BAHAMAS – More on that new airport in Mayaguana.

The Prime Minister led a delegation to the Southern Bahamas over the weekend to commission the new facility.

As Jerome Sawyer told us , for the people of Mayaguana, it’s an opportunity for so much more.

Resident — Mayaguana

“It’s been too long. We suffer.”

Depending on where you go in The Bahamas, you will likely hear others say the same — a feeling of neglect, of being unseen, and of basic needs not being met.

Resident — Mayaguana

“But we’re so far in the back here, it seems like they don’t remember it’s an island way up here. All my days.”

But on this particular Saturday, the government took a step to try to change that narrative with the commissioning of the Mayaguana International Airport.

A $2 million terminal with all the necessary airport amenities now replaces a dilapidated 60-plus-year-old structure — signaling a chance to welcome more visitors, new investments, and new opportunities.

Resident — Mayaguana

“I feel good because it makes me feel like something is going to take place for Mayaguana. The walls of Mayaguana have been breaking down for so long. It needed to be rebuilt. We need to come together to build the wall.”

The commissioning was more than a ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling — it was a chance to cement a promise to this island for a shipping and cruise ship port, along with related developments that could bring hundreds of potential jobs.

And while they are still only promises, it is enough of a lifeline to create this kind of local optimism.

Resident — Mayaguana

“You see, the kind of development that Mayaguana is poised for, one can hardly imagine. It is not going to be looked at as it was in the past — Mayaguana is behind God’s back, or so we thought. So we think Mayaguana’s time has come with this transshipment port, the cruise port, and the significant investments that are coming on board. It’s time. Nothing happens before its time.”

The airport, touted as part of the largest and most extensive infrastructure investment program in our history, is unquestionably a great start.

With a dozen other airport improvement projects underway, many other communities are likely waiting to see when their new airport doors will open.