An email sent by irate residents of Staniel Cay, Exuma to Prime Minister Perry Christie, Cabinet ministers, senior public officials and members of the press again expressed the strong objection of members of that community to the closure of the airstrip at Staniel Cay airport for repairs, which the author of the email considers "merciless" given that it happened during high season for the cay's businesses.

The email was sent on Thursday morning, the same day Guardian Business published the report from Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin that the government intends to have a contract for the repairs out to tender by the end of the week (today) and to have repairs begin in two weeks.

The writer pointed out that the airport at Staniel Cay is "the lifeblood of the community and the Central Exuma Cays, and cutting this vital artery in the middle of the busy season should never have been done", reiterating the point that the residents have patched the runway numerous times. The patches have apparently been effective in smoothing out the ruts and holes for a period of time.

"The full resurfacing of the runway, raising the crown, adding lights, etc. could be scheduled for the offseason - any time from approximately mid-August until mid-November. This course of action is logical, whereas the current situation is devastating to the Staniel Cay economy and all local businesses. Cancelations for hotels and rental homes are happening every day. Yacht owners who were able to meet their private planes at Staniel Cay have changed their plans and are not coming to the area. Already, in the week since the runway was closed, the local economy has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and the trickle-down effect on local boat rentals, cart rentals, stores, guides, etc, is significant and devastating," the writer said.

The writer noted some of the places and businesses affected: Fowl Cay (Fowl Cay Resort), Little Sampson Cay, Big Sampson Cay, Overyonder Cay (a private island resort), Little Pipe Cay, Hatti Cay, Joe Cay, Compass Cay (Compass Cay Marina), Bell Island, Little Halls Pond Cay, Soldier Cay (a private island resort) and Warderick Wells (Exuma Land and Sea Park headquarters).

The writer also disputed the idea that the Black Point airport is a close substitute to Staniel Cay and therefore easy to access as "completely unfounded and false". The writer also raised the matter of safety and well-being, given the access issues.

Hanna-Martin told Guardian Business her ministry is applying pressure to the Ministry of Works to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

"We're pressuring them. They may be pressuring themselves, but the Ministry of Works is the technical arm of the government, and they're responsible for repairs. It's something that's on the front burner in aviation for us because it has impacted the local economy."

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