The government yesterday broke ground on the Leonard M. Thompson International Airport on Marsh Harbour, Abaco.
The $27 million airport will be the first facility of its kind on the island, boasting an expansive terminal, an air traffic control tower and a fire and crash rescue unit.
Minister of Public Works Neko Grant said that the terminal will include 22 counter positions, a state-of-the-art luggage scanning system, a pilot briefing room, two restaurants, one lounge, one VIP lounge, eight retail spaces, two kiosks, long and short term parking areas, along with taxi and employee parking areas.
Bahamian contractor FES Construction will be building the airport, which should take 10 months to complete.
During the ground-breaking ceremony, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said determining the priorities of infrastructure in Central Abaco has not been easy, but growth in the area has made such development and investment necessary.
Noting that the 2010 census showed that Abaco's population had grown 21 percent since 2000, he described the island's population as "exploding."
"My constituency (North Abaco) which had 1,400 registered voters upon my election to Parliament in 1977 will now have nearly 4,000 registered voters in 2012," he said.
"Points of view as to when, how and where this facility and new airport ought to be located expressed over the past years and months have been as far apart as east is to west.  Trying to reconcile these different points of view has not been an easy task - sometimes I thought it impossible.  Still, at the end of the day I believe that we have arrived at a consensus right here in Central Abaco; this decision will benefit Abaco and indeed, The Bahamas.
"It is important for all of us to recognize the importance of air service to Abaco's economy and to that of The Bahamas.  This airport facility, located in the environs of Marsh Harbour, Murphy and Dundas Towns, and Spring City is a service centre for these communities, for the new development at Winding Bay and for the Cays: Great Guana Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Hope Town, and Cherokee Sound and at times, to all of Abaco."
The project is expected to create at least 30 training positions as part of the government's job training program.
South Abaco Member of Parliament Edison Key said when the airport is completed the mini-archipelago that makes up the Abacos will be established as an international air traffic hub.

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