AOPA urges Bahamas to reconsider high general aviation flight fees

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is contesting new entry and departure fees for general aviation pilots in the Bahamas, describing them as excessively high. The association asserts that these fees surpass those recently imposed on commercial airlines.

AOPA President Mark Baker has addressed a letter to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Edward “Brave” Davis, requesting intervention to rescind the fees for private aircraft operators. In his letter, Baker stated, “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.”

Baker highlighted that AOPA's membership includes hundreds of thousands who significantly contribute to Bahamian tourism. He noted that private aviation nearly doubles the number of visitors arriving by boat or cruise ship. “With these new aviation fees,” Baker wrote, “along with a complicated entry and departure Customs process and the impending privatization 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.”