The Ingraham administration has been criticized for moving too slowly to address needed upgrades to the aviation sector.
SkyBahamas CEO Randy Butler made the charge a day after it was revealed that air traffic controllers at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) had safety concerns due to recurring problems with the facility's radar system.
"Government doesn't understand the importance of the aviation industry to the development of this country," said Butler, who is also the Democratic National Alliance's (DNA) candidate for North Andros and the Berry Islands.
"It's just amazing that both the air traffic controllers and government have been aware of this outstanding problem with the radar.  They've had problems with that before."
He said although it is possible for air traffic controllers to operate without a radar system, once they are using the equipment it is imperative that it stays operational.
"I don't want to create a panic.  The safety issue is, if you are using radar and all of a sudden you can't see the traffic, that is a serious issue.
"If you're not using a radar, then you have to set up the parameters in terms of separating the planes (further away from each other) which slows down your system.  But if you're using a radar and bringing planes closer together and that target drops off the screen and you don't know where it is, that's a real problem."
Butler said a 2009 International Civil Aviation Organization audit of the aviation sector found a lack of adequate regulation and proper oversight in the industry.
On Wednesday, Head of the Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU) Roscoe Perpall said his members fear a total collapse of LPIA's radar system.
"We do not know when the radar will fail totally, but we anticipate that it will be soon," Perpall said.   "We have been out in the wilderness.  We've been asking for years for the government to upgrade the system."
Perpall added that in recent weeks, targets began to drop off of the radar, causing air traffic controllers to have to guess where the planes in the air are.
An official at LPIA moved to quiet worries about the radar problems after the union representing air traffic controllers complained over the issue.
Captain Patrick Rolle, head of the Civil Aviation Department, said while there was an alignment problem with the system's antenna, the issue was fixed over the weekend.
Rolle added that the radar is operational, but is in the process of being replaced.
Last year the Inter-American Development Bank approved a $50 million loan to The Bahamas for an Air Transport Program.  At the time the government said the money would be used to purchase a new radar system for the LPIA, along with general development at the Leonard Thompson Airport in Abaco and the Exuma International Airport.
Calls placed to Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace were not returned up to press time.  On Wednesday he told The Nassau Guardian that government was moving to address all outstanding union issues.
He was scheduled to meet with BATCU yesterday.

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