Bahamian Aviation Faces ‘Curve Ball’ From Covid Restrictions

• The Bahamian aviation industry was yesterday said to have been thrown “a curve ball” by the government’s tightening of COVID restrictions having regained just 40-50% of pre-pandemic business. 
• Anthony K Hamilton, Southern Air’s director of administration, and president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune Business that the industry will have “to roll with the punches” after the government reintroduced the PCR test requirement for all non-vaccinated travellers leaving New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera/Harbour Island. 
• He said the measures, brought in to counter the latest spike in COVID-19 cases that is threatening to overwhelm the public health system, will “certainly have an impact” on domestic aviation operators and the wider industry through “minimizing to some degree the traffic potential”. 
• The reintroduction of the COVID-19 PCR test requirement will raise travel costs, and the associated bureaucracy and red tape, for non-vaccinated passengers and may discourage them from travelling. Tribune Business yesterday received a video, said to have been filmed in Exuma at 10.35am yesterday, of around 30-40 persons sitting on a hillside in Exuma waiting to receive a COVID test so they can travel.

(Source: The Tribune)