Chartered Accountant Basil Sands, Managing Partner of Pannell Kerr Forster, has been named as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the national air carrier, Bahamasair.

On the occasion of announcing the new Board, the Hon. James Smith, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, said that the composition of the Board was a carefully thought out combination to ensure that administrators are constantly aware of passenger expectations. The new Board has been invited by Prime Minister Perry Christie to consider the possibility of privatisation. The Prime Minister said the Government recognises that there has to be public sector infrastructural improvements to confirm with the pace of the private sector developments in the Family Islands. This means that government corporations will have to “measure up”.

Bahamasair falls under the portfolio of the Ministry of Public Works and Utilities.

The Prime Minister also recently announced the appointment of Anthony Kikivarakis, Partner in Deloitte and Touche, as Chairman of the Airport Authority. According to the Government’s web site, the Airport Authority is in the process of a master plan study to assess the requirements of Nassau International Airport for the next twenty (20) years and evaluate the status of the existing buildings, runways and other facilities at the Airport.

The Bahamas recently celebrated 50 years of US Customs Pre-Clearance operations at Nassau International Airport. The airport is ranked 18 among all U.S. customs stations, and has never fallen below the rank of 20 throughout its 50 year history.