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