Bahamas retroactively increases fees-Update
We have finally received responses to our queries about our unanswered questions from our first contact with BANSA. Those responses are as follows:
CST: “ There are many operators who have traveled to The Bahamas since May of 2021 who have no idea about these fees. Your letter indicates that " BANSA is dedicating important efforts to reach more and more users”. How will BANSA be contacting them? :How will the operators be expected to pay?
BANSA’s response: “The integration of BANSA fee collection into the AirportBahamas APP application from Radiant Solutions, available from February 2025, is currently being studied; GA and charter operators are currently using this APP for the payment of their airport charges, thus providing an effective platform to collect ANS charges and further reach BANSA’s missed operators. The collection of ANS charges through it is being studied, and we hope to be able to use it soon. Anyway, any operator who knows or doubts whether they have pending charges is invited to proactively contact BANSA to solve any doubts or concerns he/she might have.”
CST: “Will the statutory liens will be placed with the Civil Aviation Authority of registry of the aircraft (e.g. FAA) or with The Bahamas government? If the aircraft of an operator with a lien on it travels to The Bahamas, will the aircraft be seized/detained by the Bahamian government? What happens if an aircraft with a debt, or lien, has been sold and the new owner is unaware of the past debts and/or lien, will the new owner be expected to pay the debts of the prior owner? “
BANSA’s response: “According to the legal basis provided by the BANSA Act 2021, the statutory lien will be claimed by the Government of Bahamas. Any aircraft with a debt can be seized/detained by the Government in the case the operator refuses to pay its outstanding debt. This also applies to new owners.”
The bottom line is that the government has retroactively assessed fees on multi-engine piston, turboprop and jet powered aircraft going back to May of 2021. The methods defined above and in other Bahamian government websites and publications, including The Bahamas’ Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), did not provide a working means to determine any amounts owed nor did they provide a method for payment other than through the Internaitonal Air Transport Association (IATA) in Switzerland. The airportsbahamas App to which they refer could not be found on the Apple Store as of this writing and the web-based version did not provide information nor means for payment. This leaves only direct contact with BANSA as the only working means to find out if amounts are owed and how to pay them. Unfortunately, several aircraft operators who have received invoices for landing fees, ramp fees and/or parking fees from the Bahamas Airport Authority are incorrectly assuming that these invoices were for the BANSA fees. It is highly likely that most general aircraft operators who have flown to, or over, The Bahamas since May of 2021 unknowingly owe fees and could be subject to having their aircraft seized per the written indications of The Bahamas government.
It is important to note that the aeronautical information distributed by The Bahamas Tourism department at air shows and conferences makes no mention of these fees.
To contact BANSA call Tel. +1 (242) 698-4700