The Bahamas government has given formal approval to a $6.8 million infrastructure upgrade project for airports located on Farmers Cay and Staniel Cay, two popular tourist destinations in the country’s Exuma island chain. Construction work is scheduled to break ground by the end of April and will take approximately eight months to complete, according to senior government officials.
Of the total investment budget, $5.7 million is allocated directly to the construction and upgrade works. Two local Bahamian contractors have secured the contracts for the project: Rowdy Boys Construction will handle all airside improvements across both airports, while A and E Construction has been tapped to build a brand-new passenger terminal at the Farmers Cay site.
The initiative forms a core part of the national administration’s Family Island Airport Renaissance program, a long-term strategy designed to boost inter-island connectivity, strengthen the country’s vital tourism sector, and expand inclusive economic opportunity across less developed outer islands. Minister of Works Clay Sweeting detailed the scope of the planned upgrades, noting that works will include full reconstruction and resurfacing of existing runways, plus modernization of apron and ground pavement areas at both facilities. When complete, the Farmers Cay runway will measure 2,170 feet long and 50 feet wide, while Staniel Cay’s upgraded runway will stretch 2,827 feet by 70 feet wide.
The new Farmers Cay terminal will feature passenger-focused amenities including a dedicated ticket counter, private passenger waiting area, modern restrooms, administrative office space, seating capacity for at least 20 travelers, and covered outdoor verandas. Once upgrades are finalized, both airports will be able to accommodate larger, more modern aircraft: Farmers Cay will be able to handle Cessna Caravan planes, while Staniel Cay will support Cessna 408 SkyCourier operations. The improvements are also expected to boost service reliability for major domestic carriers including Flamingo Air and Titan Air.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Chester Cooper emphasized that the investment is a targeted move to strengthen critical infrastructure across the Family Islands, where tourism growth has outpaced existing facility capacity. “Demand without infrastructure will ultimately lead to frustration, and that is why we are creating improved infrastructural conditions to facilitate more flights, more consistent service, and greater confidence from airlines and operators,” Cooper explained. “Today is not just a signing of contracts. It is about unlocking potential, advancing opportunity and driving economic growth.”
For Rowdy Boys Construction, the project marks a return to the site the firm originally developed more than two decades ago. The company built the original Farmers Cay Airport back in 2002, and has previously completed road and water main projects across both cays. Jaylan Knowles, Chief Financial Officer of Rowdy Boys Construction, noted the contract is a major milestone for the local firm, and the company plans to prioritize hiring local workers for the project — including potentially re-engaging workers who participated in the original 2002 construction. Construction will kick off first at Farmers Cay before the team shifts operations to Staniel Cay, with mobilization set to begin once final administrative approvals are secured.
Cooper also addressed public concerns about repeated contract awards to a small pool of local firms, noting that airport runway construction requires specialized engineering and operational expertise that few domestic companies possess. “There are not many companies in The Bahamas with the capacity to build runways, and therefore you may see a few companies repeated across the islands,” he said, adding that all contracts for the initiative were awarded through a fully transparent, competitive public procurement process.
In addition to the Farmers Cay and Staniel Cay projects, Cooper provided updates on other ongoing airport modernization efforts across the country. Expansion works at Exuma International Airport are progressing, with construction of the expanded departure lounge now reaching the second floor. Once complete, the upgraded lounge will be able to accommodate up to 400 passengers. At North Eleuthera Airport, preliminary upgrade works have already been finished, and airside improvement activities — including land clearing at the eastern end of the runway — are now underway. Additional development works at the site will move forward once required environmental and geotechnical assessments are completed.