Bahamas Frequent Digital Cruising Card (FDCC)
The Bahamas government has announced the creation of a new “Frequent Digital Cruising Card (FDCC) for pleasure aircraft” in its recently announced “CUSTOMS MANAGEMENT (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2025” which goes into effect on July 01, 2025. The FDCC will be valid for 2 years and ONLY applies to “propeller operated” aircraft. There is no mention of the number of propellers nor whether the aircraft must be reciprocating or gas turbine powered. The FDCC will be “linked” to the aircraft registration number and the FDCC will exempt the operator from having to pay the Bahamas Customs Processing fee and passenger departure tax up to 5 passengers. Bahamas customs law does not exempt the pilots of pleasure aircraft from the departure tax, so they are considered as passengers for this tax. However, every sixth passenger, and each passenger thereafter, will have to pay a fee of $50 (versus the normal $29 departure tax). The cost of the FDCC is $2,000 USD.
If you are a first-time traveler to The Bahamas, there is probably little value to you to obtain an FDCC. Depending on the number of people on board your aircraft, and the number of times you will fly to The Bahamas during the 2-year validity of the FDCC, you will need to exceed a certain number of trips to make the FDCC an economically practical option for you. The following table demonstrates the savings realized by having an FDCC and calculates the breakeven point in number of trips, depending on how many people are aboard.
It is important to note that the FDCC DOES NOT exempt you from landing fees, terminal fees, parking fees, Tourism tax, FBO fees, air navigation fees and any other fe assessed on a private aircraft by governmental and private agencies. It is also important to note that there has not been any explanation or guidance issued regarding how this FDCC will work. Is there going to be an App? A portal? We do not know.
Frequent Digital Cruising Card (FDCC) for pleasure aircraft
Cost $ 2,000.00 USD
Valid ONLY for “propeller operated” aircraft, no reference to number of propellers nor engine type.
Valid for 2 years from issuance.
Tied to a specific tail number.
Exempts you from Bahamas Customs Processing Fee of $150 USD. (This assumes that the customs officials will correctly categorize your flight as a “pleasure flight” and not a commercial/charter flight)
Exempts you from $29 per passenger (includes pilots) up to 5 total passengers. Upon reaching the 6’th passenger that passenger, and every additional passenger, must pay $50 per person, which is much more than the $29 per person normally charged.
DOES NOT exempt you from all other government and private fees
Each operator will need to determine how may trips, and with how many passengers, they plan to make to The Bahamas during the following 2-year period to determine if there is any value in obtaining an FDCC.
It is unlikely that the FDCC will be of any benefit to attract new pilots to The Bahamas nor that it will be of any value to most pilots who regularly visit The Bahamas up to 2-3 times a year. There may be a select few operators who have homes, or yachts, in The Bahamas that will make sufficient flights within a 2-year period in order for the FDCC to make sense.
