The national director of airlift has stated that the country's airlift situation is "improving" following a newly established route into New Providence, which will provide seasonal service to the island beginning in January.
Tyrone Sawyer told Guardian Business that overall airlift into the country remains in "pretty good shape" following an agreement with Sun Country Airlines (SCA) as part of the Ministry of Tourism's efforts to meet the demands of the country's hotel sector.
"[Airlift] is in pretty good shape and it is improving. We're working closely with the [hotel] industry to make sure that, as we bring on new airlift, it's tied directly to new rooms that are coming online," Sawyer said.
"We try not to [act] in isolation so that there is always a balance between room inventory and the amount of air seat capacity that is coming into the destination."
SCA's seasonal service will operate two to three weekly flights from Minneapolis to New Providence from January through April of next year.
Sawyer hopes this will generate long-term commitments from the airline.
"They're putting their toe in the water with the seasonal service," he said.
"It's a great service that opens up a new route for the destination, and we would hope that it opens up a more long-term commitment to the destination on behalf of SCA."
The announcement came after the 2014 World Routes forum, which attracts international airline, airport and tourism officials.
Sawyer said the conference provided the Ministry of Tourism the opportunity to "tweak" existing arrangements with affiliated carriers, adding that the country could expect several new developments coming from airlines currently operating in The Bahamas in the near future.
Sawyer also noted that Baha Mar, which is projected to bring roughly 2,200 rooms on-stream in spring 2015, generated considerable interest during the forum.
Local tourism and hotel officials have repeatedly stressed the need for improved airlift into the country.
Although the new service with SCA offers a new route into New Providence, airlift into the Family Islands remains a chief concern to Family Island development.
David Johnson, CEO of the Tourism Development Corporation, suggested earlier this month that trying to boost tourism performance in the Family Islands with the current airlift is comparable to "fighting with our hands tied behind our backs".

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