Lynden Pindling International Airport

History

Early years

In August 1942, No. 111 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF was established at Nassau Airport to train general reconnaissance crews using the North American Mitchell and Consolidated Liberators.

During the Second World War, on 30 December 1942, the airport was named Windsor Field (after the Duke of Windsor) and became a Royal Air Force (RAF) station. Windsor Field was the second airport in The Bahamas and was used for delivery flights of US-built fighter and bomber aircraft such as the Boeing B-17 and Consolidated B-24 bombers, and the Curtiss P-40 fighter from the aircraft manufacturers to the North African and European theaters. It was also a base station for Consolidated Liberator I and Mitchell patrol bombers combating the German Navy's U-boat threat.

111 OTU returned to the UK in August or September 1945. (National Archives) and was disbanded.

After the Second World War, on 1 June 1946, the RAF withdrew from Windsor Field and it reverted to civilian use. Oakes Field (now Thomas Robinson Stadium) remained as the main airport in the Bahamas due to its close proximity to downtown Nassau. At the Regional Caribbean Conference of the International Civil Aviation Organization held in Washington in September, 1946, Oakes Field was recommended for designation as a long range regular airport. Oakes International Airport was kept in operation until midnight, 1 November 1957, when Nassau International Airport at Windsor Field was brought into full operation.

The name of the airport was officially changed on 6 July 2006 in honour of Lynden Pindling, first Prime Minister of Bahamas (1967 – 1992).

Expansion and renovations

With more than 3 million passengers and over 80,000 takeoffs and landings, the airport had reached its capacity by 2011 and its facilities were outdated and insufficient. In 2006, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) entered a 10-year management agreement with YVR Airport Services Ltd. (YVRAS), the commercial arm of Vancouver Airport Authority, to manage, operate and redevelop the airport.

The airport had the highest Turnaround Costs (landing, boarding bridge, passenger facility charge, security, measured on an Airbus A320) of Latin American airports in 2009.

The redevelopment upgraded the airport facilities to international standards and expanded terminal capacity. The work was carried out in three stages. The first stage included the design and construction of a new 247000 sqft U.S. Departures Terminal, at a cost of $198.1 million. Stage 2 consisted of the complete renovation of the current U.S. terminal, to serve as the new U.S/International Arrivals Terminal, with a budget of $127.9 million. Stage 3 involved the design and construction of a new 112000 sqft domestic arrivals and departures terminal, as well as an International Departures Terminal at the location of the existing International Arrivals Hall. This last stage cost $83.5 million.

The financing had to be restructured and therefore the redevelopment was slightly delayed because of the turmoil on financial markets in the wake of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. Nevertheless, the first stage of the project was completed in March 2011. The $409.5 million invested resulted in 585000 sqft of terminal space, a 21% increase, as well as the ability to accommodate 50% more passengers. The third and final phase of the project was completed in October 2013. The airport now features 10 jet bridge-capable gates. Other features include four gates capable of taking Boeing 747-sized aircraft and one capable of handling the Airbus A380, the world's largest airliner. An additional 1 million square feet of airport operating surface has been added. There are also 24 new retail outlets and 16 bars and lounges located across the sprawling terminal complex.

The airport handled 3.2 million passengers in 2008, and the expansion was expected to allow for roughly 5.2 million passengers to be processed by 2020, according to NAD. The airport contains US Border preclearance facilities allowing all US flights to operate as domestic flights upon arrival at their destination. In February 2015, the US Border Preclearance Facility installed 20 automated passenger control (APC) self serve kiosks to improve the efficiency of passenger processing for US-bound travelers.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

| Air Canada | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa | American Airlines | Charlotte, Miami, Philadelphia Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington–National | American Eagle | Miami | Bahamasair | Cap-Haitien, Colonel Hill, Deadman's Cay, Fort Lauderdale, Freeport, George Town, Great Harbour Cay, Governor's Harbour, Havana, Marsh Harbour, Matthew Town, Mayaguana, Miami, North Eleuthera, Orlando, Providenciales, Rock Sound, Stella Maris,San Salvador (Bahamas), Spring Point Seasonal: Montego Bay | Breeze Airways | Tampa (begins 11 June 2026) | British Airways | Grand Cayman, London–Heathrow, Providenciales | Caribbean Airlines | Kingston–Norman Manley | Copa Airlines | Panama City–Tocumen | Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, New York–JFK Seasonal: Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–LaGuardia | Flamingo Air | Black Point, Great Harbour Cay, Mangrove Cay, Staniel Cay | Frontier Airlines | Atlanta | InterCaribbean Airways | Providenciales | JetBlue | Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York–JFK, Orlando |LeAir | Andros Town, Great Harbour Cay, Mangrove Cay | Pineapple Air | Governors Harbour, North Eleuthera |Porter Airlines| Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau (begins 5 February 2026), Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson | Southern Air Charter | Deadman's Cay, Duncan Town, Governor's Harbour, North Eleuthera, Stella Maris, Port Nelson | Southwest Airlines | Orlando Seasonal: Baltimore | United Airlines | Houston–Intercontinental, Newark Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Washington–Dulles | United Express | Seasonal: Houston–Intercontinental | Western Air | Congo Town, Fort Lauderdale, Freeport, George Town, Marsh Harbour, New Bight, San Andros, South Bimini | WestJet | Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Calgary

Cargo

| Conquest Air Cargo | Miami–Opa Locka | FedEx Feeder | Miami | IBC Airways | Miami | Skyway Enterprises | Miami Seasonal: Santiago de los Caballeros

Statistics

References

References

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