In a letter dated 17 July, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) president Mark Baker urges Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Edward ‘Brave’ Davis to intervene and rescind the high fees on visitors arriving and departing the country in private aircraft.

“While we understand some fees are necessary, we also believe private pilots shouldn't have fees imposed on them that are twice as much as those imposed on commercial aircraft,” he writes.

General aviation accounts for a large sector of the Bahamas tourism industry. According to data from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, stopover visitors who arrive by private aviation nearly double the number of stopover visitors who either arrive by private boat or arrive by cruise ships and stay at least 24 hours off-ship. AOPA works closely with the Bahamian government and Ministry of Tourism to promote the country as a prime destination for GA travel to its hundreds of thousands of members. The biennial AOPA Pilot Guide: Bahamas Edition has become a go-to resource for private pilots flying to the islands.

Baker's letter also raises concerns with the Click2Clear programme, a customs entry and departure protocol for private aircraft pilots and passengers. The programme is currently on an indefinite pause after AOPA requested a delay in 2022. However, concerns remain that the programme will be implemented in its current form, which is confusing and cumbersome.

“With these new aviation fees, along with a complicated entry and departure Customs process and the impending privatisation of airports, there is no question that the Bahamas will lose its competitive advantage as a key destination for private pilots flying to the Caribbean,” Baker writes.

This isn't the first time that GA pilots have encountered unjustified fees associated with operating costs. In 2021, AOPA expressed concerns about the justification of an ‘airport improvement fee’ that unfairly burdened private aviation despite GA operations resulting in less wear and tear of infrastructure than air carrier aircraft operations.

AOPA hopes to continue to work with officials in the Bahamas to resolve these high fees and ensure GA activity in the Bahamas continues to be robust and accessible.