Nassau Airport Development Company Limited (NAD), the operator of the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), is interested in attracting experienced, enthusiastic, and imaginative operators for a Retail or Food and Beverage kiosk concession. Proponents must be capable of designing, financing, and operating a Retail or Food and Beverage kiosk concession in the US Departures Terminal of the airport. The unit should offer unique products and/or services at competitive prices that are suited for the passenger demographic of the US Departures Terminal.
Officials Expect 30K Plus Passengers In Strong Post-COVID Rebound
NASSAU, BAHAMAS November 20, 2023—Key stakeholders at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy holiday travel period at the country’s major gateway. Starting this weekend with American Thanksgiving, passenger projections indicate between Thursday November 23rd and Sunday November 26th some 30,000- 33,000 travelers will move through LPIA. Traffic is expected to top 2022 figures when 30,022 passengers were recorded and meet or exceed record-breaking 2019 levels when passenger numbers reached 30,192 for the same period.
Beginning in early November, stakeholders from Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD), Bahamas Immigration, Bahamas Customs, Airport Authority, US Customs & Border Protection (USCBP), Air Traffic Services (ATS), Airline Operators, Airport Police and the Road Traffic Department held stakeholder meetings to review contingency plans put in place to meet the demand.
“Heading into this peak travel period, we’re pleased to see our numbers close to and in some cases surpassing pre-pandemic levels across all sectors,” said Vernice Walkine, President & CEO of NAD. “Over the next two months, our focus as an airport community will be to ensure that our facilities are functioning at the level required to manage the uptick in traffic. All of our critical stakeholders have worked together to handle similar peaks in the past and we anticipate doing the same throughout this period.”
To better manage passenger flow, LPIA stakeholders are paying special attention to wait times and staffing levels in pre-security clearance areas, US Customs, Bahamas Immigration and Bahamas Customs during peak periods of 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Air Traffic Services has also advised that they are ready to effectively manage commercial and general aviation arrivals and departures on the airside.
More than 80% of LPIA’s passenger traffic originates from the US market and most of this weekend’s total passenger count will be attributed to US Departures. Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts from the US Embassy in Nassau said the United States Customs and Border Protection team based at LPIA is working closely with airport stakeholders to ensure a successful peak holiday travel season.
The Chargé urges “Americans to download and use the CBP’s Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app to reduce their time at passport inspection. TSA pre-check is also available for Americans to consider when looking for ways to expedite their airport processing.”
Airport officials are also encouraging US-bound passengers to arrive at LPIA no less than three (3) hours ahead of their scheduled flights and international and domestic travelers to arrive two (2) hours prior to their departure times.
Where possible, LPIA passengers should utilize technology to improve their overall user experience while in terminal. In addition to the MPC app available to American and Canadian passengers being processed in US Preclearance, all LPIA passengers can download the AeroCloud app to track flights in real time or contact their airlines directly for flight updates. For operational updates from LPIA, visit www.nassaulpia.com or follow @nassau_airport.
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Photo Caption: Stakeholders Prep For Busy Thanksgiving Weekend At LPIA
Media Contacts:
Jan Knowles
Vice President of Marketing & Commercial Development
Nassau Airport Development Company
Nassau, Bahamas
NASSAU, BAHAMAS September 13, 2023— On Thursday September 7, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) partnered with Charlotte Knowles Thompson Agency Ltd. to host a special one-day college fair for airport employees and persons in the wider aviation industry. The event, held at New Providence Community Center, is part of NAD’s mission to provide opportunities for growth and useful resources for the more than 4000 employees who work at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).
For four hours, airport workers interested in pursuing higher education met with representatives from 32 local and international institutions to discuss future career development paths. Parents who work at the airport and within the aviation community also had the chance to explore options for their own children at the college fair. Representatives from the Ministry of Education’s Scholarship Division were present to offer tips on funding education at the tertiary level.
Vernice Walkine, President & CEO of NAD along with her executive team took Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper on a tour of the college fair. “Aviation plays a critical role in the growth and development of our overall tourism product, and I am encouraged by the interest in today’s career fair from those who work in the industry,” DPM Cooper said.
He continued: “As a government, we are investing some $260 million in infrastructure upgrades at Family Island airports. As we continue to build out our National Aviation Strategic Plan, it is important that our workforce is receiving the skills and training needed to support the sector now and into the future.”
Vernice Walkine, President & CEO of NAD, thanked the organizers and commended airport staff who took advantage of the opportunity. “Events like this one help us to further engage and inform workers in the aviation industry and related fields. We thought it fitting to host the career fair just as we wrap up an extremely busy summer period where employees have more time to participate. We chose a location that was close to the airport so staff could conveniently come over on their lunch breaks or on the way in to work to meet with the college representatives.”
To increase participation, NAD provided shuttles every 30 minutes between LPIA and New Providence Community Center for airport staff. Event organizer, Charlotte Knowles Thompson industry professionals and students based in the Family Islands will also have the opportunity to attend a virtual version of the career fair between September 25-29, 2023.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS May 22, 2023—Traveling through a busy airport terminal can be particularly challenging for children on the autism spectrum. Often, sensory issues are heightened when checking in for a flight, moving through security processes in an unfamiliar environment or waiting to board an aircraft.
Last month, students from the Garvin Tynes Autism Unit along with teachers and parents toured Lynden Pindling International Airport to become more familiar with what to expect when travelling. The exercise, organized by Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) in partnership with Bahamasair and Airport Authority, focused on familiarizing students and parents with airport processes. Staff members from both Bahamasair and the Airport Authority were instrumental to the event, simulating the check-in and passenger screening process respectively as the students made their way through the airport. The tour was also an opportunity to further sensitize airport workers to the needs of all passengers.
Jonathan Hanna, NAD’s Vice President of Operations, said the tour is in line with the airport’s goal of making travel a more inclusive experience. “The airport can be quite overwhelming for persons on the spectrum with all of the lights, sounds and crowds. During Autism Awareness Month, we wanted to take our impact a step further by hosting the students from Garvin Tynes Autism Unit at the airport,” Hanna explained.
“Through this experience, we hope to make families feel more comfortable when traveling, for them to know what to expect and for them to see how their children react and respond in a specific environment. In addition to the tour, we also created a story book outlining the travel experience. The book, which can be downloaded from our website www.nassaulpia.com, can be used as a visual tool for families to help prepare them for any upcoming travels.”
Bright lights, announcements over the intercom or something as simple as removing articles of clothing or shoes during the security screening process can trigger a response and, in some instances, can be physically painful for some children on the spectrum.
Parent and REACH board member Guerda Culmer is all too familiar with the challenges of introducing a child with autism to new environments. She accompanied her son, 6-year-old Isiah Culmer on the tour. Isiah was officially diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) at age 3. She thanked the airport for giving the students at Garvin Tynes Autism Unit an opportunity to engage and interact with the wider community.
“It’s extremely important because in our culture when we think about disability, we think about somebody who is in a wheelchair, somebody for the most part who is handicapped. But when you look at most of our kids, on the exterior you wouldn’t be able to say that the child has some challenges. When they see the child having some sort of meltdown, they automatically think you’re not a good parent or think, why can’t you control this child.”
Parents who participated in the tour took away key tips to better prepare for travel.
“I think it more or less opens the eyes of the parents in reference to what to bring with them at the airport meaning things that are going to distract [the children] or take their attention,” Culmer said.
“I appreciated that we had a lot of persons at the airport and I witnessed that he wasn’t afraid of the crowd per se. As a parent, it’s about being prepared and making sure you know exactly where things are in the airport.”
In addition to the tour, the airport community raised nearly $3000 in April for REACH through T-Shirt sales and walkathon registrations. NAD also donated 100 Sunflower Lanyards to REACH and 20 lanyards to children from the Autism Unit at Garvin Tynes. Last November, NAD launched the internationally recognized initiative to help airport workers better identify passengers with hidden disabilities such as autism and provide them with additional support as needed. For more information on the Sunflower Lanyard Program email: sunflower@nas.bs
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Photos attached.
Photo Caption 2: Guerda Culmer and her son, 6-year-old Isiah Culmer tour LPIA with the Garvin Tynes Autism Unit
Media Contacts:
Jan Knowles, Vice President, Marketing and Commercial Development
Nassau Airport Development Company
Email: jan.knowles@nas.bs
Phone: 242 702 1000
LYNDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
1MW SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT
Nassau Airport Development Company Ltd. (NAD) is seeking Proposers (experienced consortium or joint venture) to design and build a solar energy plant at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).
This renewable energy initiative comprises of, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Solar energy technology solution options
- Project site location for delivery to (or within) the LPIA power grid
- Expected COD (Charge on Demand) for generation facilities responsive to this RFP
- Market pricing for energy capacity and all generation related services
- Level of experience of market participants in developing renewable energy
- Proposer’s affirmation of interest in providing a design build renewable energy solution to LPIA
- Deadline for submission of proposals: 2:00PM EST, June 30, 2023.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Proposers are to submit comprehensive responses for the development of a 1MW commercial scale grid tied solar power plant at LPIA. Interested proposers are invited to provide a cost competitive bid, under the guidelines of the Bahamas Electricity Act. Proposers shall have a minimum of 5 years relevant experience in the solar photovoltaic industry with at least 1MW of solar energy production.
NAD’s OBJECTIVES ARE:
- To achieve a high standard of excellence and customer service
- To achieve energy security and reliability at LPIA, the main international gateway to The Bahamas
Except as otherwise specified in this Request for Proposal, NAD will not enter into any communications with Bidders in connection with this procurement except to provide clarification regarding the RFP and the procurement process. NAD will respond in writing to any request for clarification where such written request for clarification is received not later than fourteen (14) days before the deadline for submission of Proposals. Any Bidder requiring clarification on the RFP or procurement process may notify NAD in writing at the address indicated below:
Mr. Sean Moultrie, Capital Projects Manager
Nassau Airport Development Company Ltd.
Lynden Pindling International Airport
Nassau, Bahamas
Email: sean.moultrie@nas.bs