NASSAU, BAHAMAS June 6, 2020—Inter-island commercial flights will resume at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) on Monday June 8th, 2020, in accordance with the Government of The Bahamas’ phased reopening of air traffic in the country.
In preparation for increased commercial activity in terminal, NAD and its airport partners have worked in close collaboration to implement safety protocols aimed at reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission for travellers and staff.
Among the new protocols, all airport users must wear a mask or face covering when in the terminal buildings. Outbound passengers travelling from New Providence to a domestic destination will be required to complete a standardized travel form and a standardized health form at the time of check-in.
Additional health checks may be conducted at the discretion of health professionals stationed at the airport including temperature checks. Passengers who present with symptoms of COVID-19 will be isolated in a separate area of the airport for further testing and evaluation.
Jonathan Hanna, Director of Operations at NAD, said as a result of the new safety protocols, the airport experience will be somewhat different from what travellers are used to. Officials are asking persons utilizing the facilities to adhere to all protocols for the safety and security of all.
“The first change that passengers can expect is that access to the terminal facilities will be limited to essential airport workers and ticketed passengers only. We’ve put in some concessions for elderly passengers, passengers with restricted mobility and passengers who are minors who need additional assistance,” Hanna explained.
“Additionally, NAD has put down social distancing markers in all public areas including in the check-in halls, Bahamas Immigration and Bahamas Customs to provide passengers with the information on where to stand to ensure they have as much physical distancing as possible.”
Plexiglass barriers are now in place in the Domestic & International terminal’s check-in hall and domestic boarding gates. Additional work will continue in the US Departures terminal, Bahamas Immigration, Bahamas Customs and other areas.
In preparation for activity in-terminal, NAD ramped up cleaning and sanitization, purchasing fogging machines which allow cleaning teams to sanitize up to 2,000 sq ft at a time as well as electrostatic sprayers that use a negative charge to wrap around materials and help disinfect hard to reach areas.
NAD will continue to monitor overall operations over the coming weeks as the travel restrictions are lifted during each phase. Starting Monday June 15, 2020, commercial flights to The Bahamas will resume exclusively for Bahamian citizens, legal residents and homeowners qualifying for economic permanent residency as well as the immediate family members of these groups. Private aviation will also resume at all fixed-based operators (FBOs) at the airport.
Starting Wednesday July 1, 2020, international flights will resume for Bahamian and foreign travellers.
Airport officials recommend that travellers arrive at the airport at least two hours for Domestic travelers and three hours for international travelers before their flight’s scheduled departure in order to give themselves extra time to check in and go through security as well as to allow for a longer boarding process. The current recommended travel times may increase as more persons begin to travel. Passengers are asked to contact the relevant airlines for the latest flight schedules. For airport updates, visit www.nassaulpia.com or follow @nassau_airport on Facebook and Instagram.