Lack of rescue vehicles forces Silver Airways to cancel all flights to South Bimini, Bahamas

Bahamas: Silver Airways, on Tuesday, announced its decision to cease operations due to poor infrastructural services at the South Bimini Airport in the Bahamas.  

The airline took to social media to announce that all flights to and from South Bimini will be cancelled until August 2nd. The reason cited was the airport's inability to repair a firefighter and rescue vehicle. 

The airline noted, “Unfortunately, this disruption is due to the airport’s inability to repair their firefighting and rescue vehicle, which has been unserviceable since July 24, 2024.”  

It also added that despite repeated requests for updates or solutions, the airport has not been able to resolve this critical safety issue, leading to the requirement of cancelling flights in order to ensure passenger safety. 

Furthermore, Silver Airways apologized to its customers for any types of disruptions which may have been caused due to the cancelled flights.  

“We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time. For further assistance, please contact our customer service team or visit our website silverairways.com for the latest updates,” noted the airline.  

In response to the airline's announcement, the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation acknowledged that the cancellation was due to a mechanical issue with an aging fire truck, one that they understand has been in operation for more than 40 years now despite proactive preventative maintenance efforts. 

Upon notification, the airport authority promptly initiated a search for that replacement part, which has now been secured. 

The mechanics from the airport authority noted that the part is scheduled to arrive in Bimini today and repairs are expected to be completed by Thursday, August 1.  

“This information, we understand, has been communicated to Silver Airways,” he added saying that the issue of fire trucks on the island of Bimini has been a long-standing issue and even two years ago there was a cry for fire trucks in the island following a fire that destroyed a number of homes there. 

On the other hand, the netizens have reacted on the situation saying that it is bad on Bahamian authorities' part.  

“Someone makes sense of this. The new airport authority is charging exorbitant fees, yet they can't maintain a fire engine. Where are these fees going?” said a user named Jen Colson while another user noted, “It’s sad that the passengers are being negatively impacted by something that should be at the top of the list of basic requirements.”