Ground-Breaking & Contract Signing for The Exuma International Airport.

long resident of exoma how will this brand new facility change the island shape thank you very much alto on good morning bahamas i am delighted that the prime minister and his delegation has sought to come to exuma to officially sign for this groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the exoma international airport this airport will certainly change the physical and social landscape of exuma exumians have been looking forward to this transformational entity for quite some years because our facilities particularly our airport facility is not adequate to accommodate the huge amount of local as well as international travelers to our island exoma is one of the fastest growing islands in the commonwealth of the bahamas and tourism over the years has been the main stay of this island and so the construction of this airport will enhance the overall growth and development of this island and bring much needed jobs for exumions i also envision exoma being the hub for other southern islands of the bahamas which will create more economic activities for residents and bohemians alike during the pandemic i happen to have been the administrator and i noticed that notwithstanding all of the restrictions relative to traveling exam was able to hold its own with respect to to visitors we have a very large second home community here and they are interested in this airport also because tourists would like to know that they have adequate facilities where they can be fitted and treated very very warmly and so this is a welcome opportunity for for the island of exoma and as an examiner i am very proud of this state this is a very historic and significant day for us in eczema and i invite exumians to embrace this opportunity and to support it it is something that we needed over the years and it's here now and this is our time to to embrace it what are some of the businesses so you feel as though residents could take advantage of once this airport is constructed there are numerous businesses on this island that can benefit from the construction of this airport uh exilians are now entering into the the airbnb market and that is a very significant entity that has um accrued to the benefit of exilience on this island they are also engaging in real estate and as you know we have a very large transient population persons from all over the bahamas are now coming to exoma because of the excellent employment opportunities which exist here and so they are taking advantage of that and so our island is growing i also look forward to future plans for the expansion of low-cost housing for persons who wish to to relocate and persons who have already relocated to exoma this is a very very buoyant economy and i believe that with the construction of this airport we expect more buoyancy in the economy mr ferguson always good to see you thank you so much too thank you thank you that was former administrator for the island of exoma ivan ferguson the ceremony to sign this historic contract for the multi-million dollar airport here is about to begin prime minister the most honorable dr heber minis has arrived he is accompanied by several of his cabinet ministers including the minister of tourism the minister of foreign affairs the minister of financial services trade industry and immigration and the minister of national insurance and the public service the ceremony is about to begin it's going to be rather short it will begin with a prayer welcome address and then the contractor will speak the minister of tourism and aviation will also bring remarks and it will be the minister of tourism and aviation who will be introducing prime minister the most honorable dr hubert menace to the podium also here is deputy prime minister and minister of works the honourable desmond bannister who just arrived now moments after the ceremony a groundbreaking ceremony will take place seconds after the ceremony has ended and we will bring more information on this fantastic facility once the ceremony has ended we're going to be speaking with the director of aviation for the ministry of tourism and aviation alginin cargo also here are several parliamentary colleagues including the member of parliament for golden gates michael folks the member of parliament for exuma and rangan island chester cooper is also here and as i mentioned prime minister the most honorable doctor you reminisce is here and he will be stepping out to have a seat in a matter of seconds as you heard earlier from the consultant for the ministry of aviation and terrorism fred jonathan this is a red letter day for residents here on the island of eczema as they have been waiting for several years to hear about the construction of this brand new multi-million dollar airport facility now if you have never been to eczema this airport will be located just west of the main airport it's adjacent to odyssey aviation here in moss town even though the name georgetown is usually used moss town is exactly where the airport will be located and as we wait several seconds for the prime minister to come and have a seat too begin the ceremony i just want to have a quick word with the administrator for exuma the current administrator for exuma deborah moxie role and administrator i know this entire ceremony has been a busy one for you but tell me exactly why we've heard already why residents and exuma are so excited but from where you sit tell me about the jubilance that eczema residents have for this facility being constructed well from where i sit we've been waiting a long time for this facility and this is the impetus as as to whether or not exuma takes off or it or just you know or it takes off and so we're excited and we're looking forward to the facility and the development um that's coming to exuma and what exactly are residents telling are they looking forward to the business opportunities of this new facility of course they certainly are it will provide a lot of business opportunities because we're having interest expressed from everywhere in terms of people wanting to come to do business wanting to the real estate sales are starting to pick up and so we are excited and i understand that exoma is still booming with terrorism in the midst of a pandemic certainly is this is the place where people have personal space you could choose any beach yeah you can choose any beach and be on the beach by yourself so that's that's so that's a rare commodity in these times people feel safe like soma and the keys on the mainland is being populated yes both the keys and the mainland both of them yeah good to see you administrator thank you thank you too that was administrator for exuma deborah moxie roll as i mentioned prime minister the most honourable doctor you reminisce is here he is about to exit his vehicle in order for this ceremony to begin i can also tell you that there are several officials from sandals and grand isle they're the main hotel properties here on the island of exuma apparently sandals has a new general manager and interim general manager while the current general manager jerry jeremy martin is out and i'm getting i'm being told that the prime minister will be out in about two minutes moderating the event is the director of tourism pardon me the director of aviation for the ministry of tourism and aviation alton and cargo as i mentioned several senior government officials are here several senior investment officials are here and prime minister the most honourable dr heber menace is right now walking toward ladies and gentlemen please stand for the arrival and this is and groundbreaking ceremony for the multi-million dollar international airport on the island of example will begin right now please please remain standing for the invocation i will be led by father walcott bane director of san andreas anglican parish followed by the national anthem let us bow our heads as we pray gracious god in whom we live and move and have our being look favorably upon us as we gather today on this momentous occasion bless the plans and the initial workings of the redevelopment of this airport here on exuma we pray for those involved in this task those to sign contracts those who will be working on this project we pray for your guidance in their undertakings we ask that you would clearly show them how to conduct the work on behalf of your people with a spirit of joy and enthusiasm may that which will begin today come to completion and at the last may you receive the honor and all of the glory we ask gracious god that this future venture may be of great benefit to the people of this eye may this project add a much needed boost and revitalization to our economy here in exoma and finally father may your presence be with us this day and forevermore these blessings we ask through jesus christ our lord amen thank you [Music] is [Applause] waving pledge [Music] is [Music] [Music] is thank you and you may be seated good morning and welcome to the official contract signing on groundbreaking ceremony for the 65 million dollar exuma international airport the honorable prime minister dr gilbert menace and mrs minis the deputy prime minister the honourable desmond the honourable detainees here at the agola the minister of tourism and aviation the honourable darren henfield the minister of foreign affairs oliver brentwood rule the minister of the public service and national insurance the honorable ellsworth johnson minister of immigration and financial services the honorable michael fox the member of parliament for golden gates beyond rochester cooper the member parliament for zoomers on the rugged island the honourable jennifer isaac johnson astronaut senior government officials including permanent secretaries reginald saunders and carl colebrook employees from the ministry of tourism and aviation and the department of aviation i believe mr carl columbus here director of the airport authority architect conway smith of alexa and associates peter mccloud of dhp and associates mrs mrs michael anderson and jim wilson of royal fidelity our financial partners mr ashley clinton principal of wellesley construction limited our partners from odyssey aviation pedro roll the president of the exuma chamber of commerce father walcott bain director senator's anglican parish debbie moxley roll the island administrator clayton partisan smith the deputy chief counselor members of the media and last but by no means least all exilience present today on watching this event digitally it's great to be here today it is it is it is also my pleasure to again welcome you all to the official contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony for the exuma international airport you will hear more about the planning for this airport on the details of the development from our speakers and i will be available to answer any questions relating to this on other department of aviation projects immediately after a short ceremony today as the director of aviation i have had the responsibility to steer the progress of this airport development and i'm excited today to finally see the results of thousands of hours of efforts crystallized in this official contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony this was not an easy road but the great thing is that in less than two years we will be able to use the 60 000 square foot facility that balances nature on a modern design concept right here in georgetown exuma with the support of our financial partners the idb and royal fidelity we are investing as i said 65 million dollars in the development of the air terminal building a crossfire rescue and combined services building as well as refurbished runways aprons and taxiways this is really exciting and speaks to the government's commitment to eczema our prime minister and minister of tourism and aviation they have spoken publicly about the rfp but that is in the final stages of development to identify a public-private partner for the development and management of several family island airports including the recently acquired the grand bahama international airport this new facility in exuma the san salvador international airport atlanta thompson international airport in marsh harbor the great harbor key airport that is under development or under construction i should say the planned northern luther airport under deadman's key airport that is now out to tender our consultants lee fisher they are planning a brief marketing market briefing next month and this will outline the first public step in the rfp process on formally introduce the rfp globally as well as locally thank you i want to especially acknowledge our partners election associates on their technical team represented by conrad smith and peter macleod of dhp and associates our selected contractor mr ashley clinton of wesley construction limited on all of our partners for their contribution today a special thank you to ms lenacio smith dudley pratt and fritz jonathan of the department of aviation and xiaomi and the vote on our team from the local ministry of tourism office here in georgetown for their contributions and organizing today's event and the entire team from the department of aviation in prior prioritizing today this important milestone in bahamian history we are here today in georgetown we'll soon be in deadman's key for a similar ceremony for the rebuilding of the 18 000 square foot airport there we'll hop over to great harbor key to open a new airport facility there that is nearly completed and then returned to northern luther to break ground on an airport that will practically mirror the exoma international airport exuma this is indeed a wonderful day as it signifies the commitment as it signifies a commitment to expanding air travel to your island and also in the start of the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities for rental car agencies retail stores eateries bars fbos and other small business opportunities in your community the airport will also include an area to be available to the public for outdoor community events shortly afterwards the master plan for this aeropolis that includes the development of more spin-off businesses within the airport compound together with the expanded tourism product supported with the 60 000 square foot regional airport will see the start of great things for this wonderful island of exilma i now call on our first speaker who i believe is a program our first speaker who i know is mr ashley clinton the president of wesley construction who will tell us about his company on the design of our new airport good afternoon everyone as the principal of woesley construction i would like to thank prime minister minnes and his government the ministry of tourism and aviation as well as alexio and associates and dhb team for their contributions to our firm being here today as a general contractor for the exuma international airport we appreciate that the team recognized woesely's capabilities and experience as it relates to successfully completing projects of this magnitude such projects include being a joint venture partner for the construction of the linden finland international airport the imax fusion super blacks albany condominiums andre rogers baseball stadium the bahama water park and the abaco government complex that withstood hurricane dorian throughout our 20-year history as a behaving company woesley has hired and trained some of the best tradesmen in the country today and currently we employ over 250 behaviors on our staff we anticipate hiring 75 to 100 behavens on this particular project we are committed to hiring locals as much as we can in addition to utilizing as many of the local vendors and resources here available on the island mobilization to the site will begin within two weeks with construction starting shortly thereafter the contract value is approximately 33 million dollars with a completion schedule of 20 months as always we intend on finishing this beautifully designed state-of-the-art facility on time and within budget and also work with the various team members and stakeholders to ensure the completion of a successful project that the good people of exuma and all the haymans can be proud of again i want to thank the government of the bahamas for the confidence it has placed in our firm for its airport infrastructural program that will no doubt expand the economy of exuma we are excited to be a part of this historic occasion and even though the process has taken a bit longer than expected we are eager to finally get started thank you thank you mr clinton an effective leader is defined as one who motivates will navigate the ship of the enterprise successfully and smooth on rough seas our guides on aircraft calmly through turbulence you will agree with me that this fine gentleman who heads our nation's number one industry fits the subscription to a t a few short years into his tenure as the minister of tourism and aviation the honourable dionysio diago led our destination in 2019 in welcoming our record-breaking 7 million plus visitors that deserves a round of applause three months later the year 2020 ushered in the cobot 19 pandemic a global turbulence the likes of which we've never seen before in these worst times or worst of times the honorable minister no doubt many times rattled has maintained his focus and kept his eyes on the silver lining of hope i hasten to point out that hope is not a pure abstraction hope is based or evidence based please allow me for a minute or two to speak to the evidence the undergrads the optimistic outlook which our minister has for the bahamas tourism recovery over the past six decades the resilient industrious people of the bahamas have established a worldwide reputation for our country as a vacation paradise through the pandemic the ministry's marketing team using the power of both traditional and social media has relentlessly kept our destination in front of travel customers today the bahamas brand is at its strongest the family of islands that comprise the bahamas the 16 island destination promoted by our ministry correspond ideally to what today's travelers seek in social distancing as an astute businessman minister de aguila is keenly aware that in tourism the time of the bahamas out islands has come and that to facilitate our islands in capitalizing on tourism what is needed in each of our major islands are modern efficiently run airports as we dive as we are developing today in exuma and today it brings me much joy to have minister diago preside over the contract signing and groundbreaking of an airport on an island that is fast becoming a household name internationally the beautiful island of exuma ladies and gentlemen put your hands together as i introduce to you the ceo of our tourism enterprise an outstanding leader who spearheads the implementation of the strategic plan that would take us into sunnier days of tourism rebound and recovery please welcome the minister of tourism and aviation the honourable dionisio diago who will also introduce the prime minister of the bahamas at the end of his remarks thank you sir boy lg that was an intro pm you ain't getting that kind age i write that much most honorable prime minister deputy prime minister cabinet colleagues parliamentary colleagues executives from the airport authority all of the contractors ladies and gentlemen good afternoon today i am absolutely delighted to be on the beautiful iconic island of exuma to take part in this groundbreaking ceremony for a 60 000 square foot air terminal building for and on behalf of first the wonderful people of exuma and the exuma keys and second the strong and resilient people of the bahamas today is the culmination of the most historic week ever for the bahamian aviation sector a week ago the prime minister and i were in freeport buying on behalf of the bahamian people the last large and substantial airport in the bahamas that is not owned by the government of the bahamas the people of grand bahama are delighted that finally their government now owns the grand bahama international airport a crucial piece of infrastructure critical to the development of their economy and then two days ago there was the signing of a historic air navigation services agreement between the bahamas and the united states people of exuma i am so proud today to report that the bahamas has now assumed for the very first time the management of its sovereign airspace commencing the 1st of may 2021 a week ago aircraft landing in and departing out of the sovereign air space of the bahamas aircraft flying solely within the sovereign air space of the bahamas an aircraft flying over the sovereign airspace of the bahamas will start for the very first time to pay fees to an entity solely owned and operated by the governor of the bahamas never before in the history of an independent bahamas has anyone paid anything to the government of bahamas for the use of its airspace over the next 10 years the life of the agreement with the americans it is estimated that the bahamas will collect 350 million dollars from and for civil aviation an amount that prior to the first inmate previous governments sim simply could not figure how to collect well this municipal administration clearly has an ambitious agenda for bohemian aviation and as such here we are today breaking ground on the much needed long sought after exuma international airport ladies and gentlemen this groundbreaking today represents the single largest investment ever on any airport in our family islands this 65 million airport project demonstrates to the people of exuma the importance this minnesota administration attaches to continuing to develop your infrastructure so critical to keeping your economy growing by leaps and bounds everyone in exuma has been hearing about the coming of this new airport for probably six years now and i can say and all i can say is that at the airport of this magnitude and on this scale is a very complicated piece of infrastructure we first had to hire consultants to project into the future the amount of traffic both passengers and aircraft that would be using this airport we did not want to build an airport which after a few short years would prove to be too small we had to hire architects michael aksu and associates one one of the only and they would probably correct me by saying the only bahamian firm with experience in the design of airports we did not want to make the mistake like in so many other instances in the past of hiring architects with no experience in designing airports not in exuma they in turn had to seek specific advice from consultants on a whole host of issues specific to airports and more importantly specific to this airport for example as you can imagine aviation is a highly regulated industry governed by many many rules subject to many many audits by international organizations that inform the traveling public across the globe that this airport is safe to use and is compliant with all the latest aviation requirements the airport calls for a new runway new taxiways and ramps a new firehouse a new air traffic control tower all of which take an inaudible plan amount of time to plan and get right from the get-go finally we had to consult with you the people of exuma on the plan for this airport so that we could provide and we could incorporate your suggestions your feedback into what we are breaking ground on here today the most important part of this journey was figuring out how the government is going to pay for a terminal that is estimated to cost 35 million runways and other airside works that will cost another 30 million and what is clearly challenging financial times it is no secret that the corona virus pandemic has savaged both tourism and aviation significantly impacting the finances of the government in a hugely negative way revenues are down and expenses are up and deficits are bigger bigger than they have ever been given the need for this caring government to help its people through these trying times so given the state of affairs and given the the directive of the prime minister that this project must and will go on we had to put on our thinking caps and figure out how this 65 million dollar construction was to be funded and financed given that the public treasury could not carry the full load the only solution and the best solution was to enter into a public private partnership with the private sector would put up most of the funding and they would generate their payback from the implementation of user fees the same scenario that exists at the lyndon pendling international airport today an airport developer an airport development company similar to nad and nassau will be created and charged with financing building operating this new airport the land the real estate upon which we are all now sitting and standing will always remain the property of you the people of exuma through the 100 government-owned airport authority there is a great deal of interest in this project and consultants will be hired to sift through the proposals for partnerships to determine who has the most experience and who is the best fit for the management and operation of this airport royal fidelity a local fund manager led by michael anderson and his team who are here today will represent the airport authority and assist them in raising the necessary capital to fund this airport ensuring that exumians first and then other bahamians get to take part in any funding exercise exuma we are on a journey a journey that will deliver to you a world-class airport a much deserved airport a much needed airport over the next two or so years and with this new airport exumians will experience better mobility enhanced opportunity and improved connectivity let me begin with the obvious we are a tourism nation and while mobility certainly entails making sure bohemians and tourists can get from point a to point b safely and conveniently it goes a little deeper than that the aviation sector and indeed the airports which encompass it create growth opportunities for local communities airports therefore create upward mobility for its employees and the surrounding areas as they are one of the key mechanisms through which visitors enter and leave the country and mobility brings with it opportunities opportunities for employment opportunities for investment and ultimately opportunities for positive growth without a sound airport infrastructure there would be no sandals no grand isle no paradise bay no peace and plenty it might seem mundane but that same piece of tarmac out there we lovingly referred to as a runway and soon to be extended and resurfaced and reinforced to take bigger and heavier planes is the most important stretch of asphalt on this island because it connects us all airports provide connectivity between our islands between our people yes but most importantly between exuma and the rest of the world exuma's your minister of tourism i can say that the economy of exuma is bouncing back faster than almost all of the other islands you always knew and i now know since assuming this post that exuma possesses truly the most beautiful islands and keys of the bahamas all those people mostly in the united states who have been locked down and suffering under their usual dark and grim winters are yearning and pining to return to the bahamas and especially exuma in the house of assembly this week in the smokers room i watch with delight as the mp for north lutheran ricky mackey and brensel rowe the minister for the public service and the de facto minister of state for exuma argued whose island was bouncing back faster minister brenzel argued that with all the yachts and the other pleasure craft nestled in every nook and key of exuma the reports that he was receiving from family and friends of the high demand for accommodation and excursions zuma was coming back stronger than ever and coupled with the home porting project being proposed by crystal cruises exuma was in for a tourism boom on wednesday i met with adam stewart the son of the late butch george and the new chairman of sandals who proudly enunciated his vision and plans for sandals exuma and their boutique property on far key he also detailed how they are feverishly working with all of the airlines to show that exuma has sufficient air lift to support the robust demand they were seeing building in their reservation system for this destination exuma tourism is definitely bouncing back so get ready and with what we are seeing in tourism this makes what we are doing today that's so much more important breaking ground on the new exuma international airport i will say that it is always a distinct pleasure to speak before the prime minister a phenomenal leader he knows how to drive our spirits towards the collective good and so he guides us he encourages us he counsels us yes and i know it hasn't been easy the prime minister has taken some punches but he is still in the ring and he's never lost faith i am reminded of chapter six verse nine in galatians let us not let us not become wary in doing good for the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up ladies and gentlemen i think it's about time we reaped our harvest and who better to be our shepherd than the prime minister it is with great pleasure therefore that i invite you to stand and welcome to the podium the prime minister of the commonwealth of the bahamas the most honorable human minister to make his remarks on this momentous moment for exuma thank you very much you may be seated i did not know the anger was religious congratulations every time we start a cabinet meeting a cabinet minister would always lead off with a prayer but i would never ever select something but now that has changed so i would i would suggest you get your prayer ready for next tuesday i just traveled from a local bohemian key hibernate owned by bohemian and it was amazing i went to do the ribbon cutting they have completely solarized the key moving away from generators etc it's now completely solarized but what was even more amazing the complete solarization was done by a bohemian firm so it shows that the bohemians as behemoths we are truly on our way thank you mr cargill for establishing protocol for me i would recommend i'd however recognize all of my parliamentary colleagues ladies and gentlemen good afternoon i'm happy to be here today with the wonderful people of exuma i wish to recognize my parliamentary colleagues who are here today to celebrate the contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony for the new eczema international airport and in fact the amount of ministers the iga has out here today i can have with great comfort a cabinet meeting this evening here in exile early in my administration we made a commitment to exuma to build a state-of-the-art airport in georgetown a modern facility that would be the envy of the region we recognize that the airports have a direct positive correlation to the growth of the economy we envisaged that this facility will one day become a major airline hub and cargo facility for the southern bahamas and today i am happy to deliver on this promise if it is the choice of the bahamian people it will be my great joy to be back here in less than two years to declare your new airport officially open and if exuma cell chooses i may be joined by a new member of parliament so let me thank the residents of exuma for your patience as we have meticulously planned for the development of the new exuma international airport ladies and gentlemen last week thursday i was in grand bahama to participate in the government's acquisition of the grand bahama international airport that purchase for one dollar for one bahamian dollar resulted in the government owning all 30 airports in the commonwealth of the bahamas our strategic intent is to identify the best partner to plan develop finance and manage the grand bahama international airport we have a similar vision for the exuma international airport the planned north elutra international airport the new deadman's key international airport the leonard thompson international airport the airport presently under construction and so on to be completed in great harbor key and the previously completed san salvador international airport airlines and airports make vital contributions to a nation's economy and transportation network on such transportation infrastructure facilitates the domestic and international flow of commerce including tourists and various goods and services the government of bahamas commissioned a study to review the government-owned airports in the family islands the purpose of the study was to assess each airport for compliance with iko standards and to prepare comprehensive strategies to achieve compliance with such standards the study also helped us to prioritize investment in the airports including initially in those that have the greatest potential to be financially sustainable from an operating perspective and this optimization study recommended the government adopt a tad airport strategy with initial investment targeting the six-tier one airport exuma is one of the tier one airports it has been identified as an immediate priority for upgrades to meet iko or regulatory standards as well as provide facilities that meet the needs of both current and future passenger traffic and key components of this upgrade program is the construction of a new air terminal building and upgrade of the runway and aprons the upgrades include a new fixed based operation rfbo with our strategic partner odyssey aviation who will be constructing a new fpo facility adjacent to the new air terminal building the master plan provided the in-depth analysis of the broader economic environment in the bahamas it provided an assessment of the existing facilities at the airport it provided the current passenger volumes and finally the growth forecast over the next 20 years the master plan also provided for airside upgrades mid-ico standards construction of a new fire station which will also serve as a combined service building to house critical airport mobile equipment and a new air terminal building to meet the needs of both current and future passenger volumes an air terminal building concept was developed as part of the master plan and the concept explored functional issues relating to the entire range of user and technical requirements that have to be met in the design of airport terminal building in this regard i want to thank the design team headed by mike alexio of alexia knowles and co and stantec international as well as project implementation unit of the ministry of public works ladies and gentlemen the planning for the brand new examined national airport is completed we are ready for execution phase of this project the proposed airport terminal building is designed to meet the functional and qualitative requirements of a modern international airport the greenfield option was chosen so the existing airport terminal building may continue to operate until the new facility is available for operation thereafter the existing facility will be converted for uh to other uses the approximately sixty thousand square feet air terminal building has one hundred percent emergency power backup it is designed to require a minimum of maintenance to mitigate the use of natural resources efficiency strategies are proposed to make the facilities sustainable details of proposed energy and water strategies are presented in the engineering section of the report on the new airport the proposed exuma lands landside parking is comprised of about 108 marked surface spaces it will be located north of the air terminal building for public vehicles car rental companies and air on tenant staff the intention is for the parking to be revenue generating to help sustain this wonderful beautiful airport there is space to the east of their terminal building for approximately 24 taxis and limousine to park on stage and the parking on safe circulation and transferring of passengers by bus has been addressed in the lan side parking design very soon the si tender will be released this will result in a refurbished 7 000 linear foot runway and the construction of new aprons and taxiway our plans include to direct aircraft traffic directly to exuma from north and south america and to use this modern facility as a hub for the southern bahamas a cargo hub facility will be added in phase two of the development of this project as we recognize that there is a strong demand for this service examines your government has delivered yet another major capital project to your island this critical project will deliver increased employment opportunities this project will also cultivate entrepreneurs at the airport and nearby locations catering to the airport the government is pleased to partner with rosely construction company as the contractor as well as royal fidelity as the principal financing partner for the tranche of funds needed to build this modern airport facility woesley has considerable experience in vertical construction in the bahamas and particularly in airports it was the bahamian construction firm that engaged in a joint venture with leadcore a canadian firm in the construction of the lyndon pendling international airport in new providence this is an excellent example of international firms partnering with bohemians to strengthen our local talent today woesley is able to proceed independently in the construction of the second largest airport in the bahamas we have a commitment for mosley construction to first hire local talent from eczema and where the talent does not exist to recruit from the remainder of the bahamas mosley is committed to delivering quality project and our team from the department of aviation and the ministry of public works will hold woesley entirely accountable to finishing on time alexio and associates your design is becoming a reality i thank the team that includes architects mike alexo conway smith and nora smith peter mccloyd from dhp quantity surveyors harman ramming from engineering group clinton news from engineering solutions and consultant limited and caribbean international air conditioning services limited these are all established bohemian firms that collectively employ more than 100 bohemians exuma you were promised a new passport office it is a promise that has been realized now the promise of your new international airport is becoming a reality after many years of all kinds of talk and promises your new modern international airport is close at hand the hard work of government is not about talk and more talk which some in the past did with delivering on your needs as your prime minister i know that the hard work of government is about getting things done on your behalf and i am pleased that the government of the bahamas has demonstrated our commitment to eczema this airport is among many other wonderful things planned for the eczemas ladies and gentlemen i understand that many of you came out to get the covet vaccine and i was pleased with the results i'm happy that you have done so the quicker we can get vaccinated and move past the emergency stage of the pandemic the quicker we can reopen our economy because we are still in a pandemic please continue to follow the public health guidelines and to wear a mask we are starting to see an increase in tourist arrivals in exoma and nearby islands we can see the path to recovery and believe me it is bright when we get your airport eczema is going to take off big big magnificent times we have a wonderful future let us continue to build and to secure our future together i say to eczema the next phase of our plan for exuma while i'm here i will tour your hospital facilities so that we can introduce our department of telemedicine and connect you throughout the world and throughout the bahamas the days of being transported by air ambulance is coming to an end i will also travel and visit the area that has been designated for your new township you will have a new government complex you will have a new subdivision as was announced in new providence we must provide proper housing for our young people and the future of this country there will also be new road connection and new roadway constructed so as the deal with the traffic flow as we expand your island and most of all within that township area we will construct an area for industrial and commerce exuma you are only may god continue to bless each and every one of us and may god continue to bless exuma and the commonwealth of the bahamas nice seeing you chester the more i'm even more pleased seeing you senator dobson thank you very much will now proceed to the contract signing all right signing the contract for the government of the bahamas is mr reginald saunders the permanent secretary in the ministry of tourism and aviation and signing for wolseley construction is mr ashley clinton the president of wellesley construction company [Music] thank limited um i just came in a round of applause for wolseley construction and the government of the bahamas the umber prime minister the honourable deputy prime minister minister diagola p.s reginald sanders and mr ashley glinton will now proceed to the groundbreaking for the new 60 000 square foot exuma international [Music] airport individuals here at the contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony for the multi-million dollar exuma international airport the groundbreaking ceremony will take place in several seconds is actually taking place right now minister of works the honourable desmond bannister permanent secretary in the ministry of tourism and aviation the prime minister contractor and the minister of tourism and aviation are breaking the ground for this brand new facility as the ceremony is going on i can tell you that several visitors arriving here in georgetown next to this construction site for the brand new panel airport here in exuma and i just was doing online about the out here at zuma and according to wikipedia national airport is a public airport serving it's located near moss town northwest of georgetown and the airport services mainly light aircraft the united states and the bahamas as the ceremony and as the term now ends the prime minister along with several of his ministers will be leaving the site but just to get a wrap-up of exactly what took place here right today is the director of aviation for the ministry of tourism and aviation the honourable sorry mr alden i know you're so pleased that this ceremony and i'm proud of you that everything is now complete i'm excited a lot of plan finally is over we are planning to bring the ceremony to fruition it's important that examiners can now boast that they'll have a brand new airport in less than two years i'm proud of both reconstruction was was selected as a contractor a reputable behavior firm with experience in building the atlanta international airport and also the government obama to finance the airport i know that you had told me yesterday that the contractor is going to be looking to hire local talent at the start of the construction process has that been a challenge or has a lot of augusonians been receptive to that yes they are of course we believe that for this proportion to be successful unfortunate economy to continue to grow we should try to hire first line exoma that was one of the requirements we asked the contractor and he said from a financial perspective it's easy for them and more economical to hire um talent here in exoma and what they have committed to is firstly looking at zuma and then if they can't find the town to look in nassau on the other islands of the bahamas that speaks to the confidence the contractor has in eczema because we have many other large projects that have been built in exoma so we know that the talent exists and it's a great opportunity for examines to now find employment and stay at home instead of traveling to nassau particularly during the pandemic government has announced that other airports on the family island pipeline family island airports in the pipeline you told me yesterday a tender was sent out yesterday for deadman's key give us the update on delminsky and the barry islands great deadman's key is a new eighteen thousand facility in my eighteen thousand square foot facility that's an estimated cost about twenty million dollars it's important for devminsky because for the first time you know i'm not going to have direct flights from north america to deadman's key that aircraft is designed to accommodate the regional jets um i can see up to 100 persons and the runway will be lengthened to a little over 6 000 feet it is important for devminsky because there's a wonderful tourist opportunity tourism opportunity in long island um the island itself has said that we need an airport in order to grow our economy and the government responded i know the member of parliament adrian gibson is excited about the airport and attenders were released and in less than two to three months we'll be back to ground break in dedmonsky and that's exciting thank you so much thank you and that was the historic contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony for the multi-million dollar international airport in exuma is located in mosstown georgetown is right next to mosstown even though this airport is known as georgetown international airport and i can tell you the home is that residents here in exuma are extremely elated that the construction process will begin and this new multi-million dollar international airport will attract even more visitors to the island of exuma as well as the southern bahamas and i will end our coverage on behalf of my technique on behalf of my colleague rodney davis and our hard working team back in the providence i'm also these mornings thanks so much bahamas for watching and enjoy your day you

Channel: The Office of the Prime Minister The Bahamas

Views: 443

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: iOIRegm8gT0

Length: 63min 55sec (3835 seconds)

Published: Fri May 07 2021