FREEPORT - Nearly 50 Bahamians on Grand Bahama will be out of work by the end of this month when Freeport Flight Services loses its contract at the Grand Bahama International Airport.
The company will cease operations on August 31 after providing services at the airport for more than 40 years.
The closure will affect about 45 employees, some of whom have been with the company for 37 years.
Freeport Flight Services, which is jointly owned and operated by ASIG and DBA Aviation, provide ground handling and FBO services, including baggage handling, front desk, sanitation services and aircraft services.
The Grand Bahama Airport Company (GBAC), which is owned by the Hutchison Group, will resume those services on September 1.
According to sources, services had been steadily withdrawn from FFS, including the distribution of fuel to the airlines which was taken over last year by the GBAC.
A young local attorney is speaking out on the matter and the impending unemployment of FFS workers.
"I wish to state firstly my sadness and disappointment at what I have become aware is taking place with the employees of Freeport Flight Services," said Osman R C Johnson.
"The company is set to lose its service contract at the end of this month, after 45 years of faithful services to the airport and to the people of this island."
"By next month there will be 45 families on this island and in this country which...will face uncertain futures," Mr Johnson said.
"What is most worrying about all of this is the fact that the contract is being taken away from a company which employs dozens of Bahamians and will be given instead to a foreign owned entity, which already dominates this island economically."
FFS has given 90-days notice to staff that it will cease its operation at the airport. The workers are expected to begin receiving severance pay, starting August 28.
Management had informed staff at a meeting that the company - which had already lost some of its contract for services - was losing money.
Although the FFS contract comes to an end on August 31, sources say that the airport company has hired new employees for training and will begin handling services for Delta Airlines on Saturday.
There are reports that the GBAC has rehired 15 per cent of the workers at FFS.
The Tribune contacted public relations officials at Hutchison on Wednesday, but our call was not returned up to press time.
According to reports in a local newspaper, Management at Freeport Flight Services, confirmed that the office will be closing at the end of this month.
"They were also quiet on the cause of their closure, but said only that due to certain challenges they face presently, they will have to close their doors. It was clear that the company did not want to leave, but had found no other way out," reported the Freeport News.
One worker - who wished to remain anonymous - felt that FFS employees should have been given first preference to jobs instead of new workers being brought in.
"FFS has invested a lot of time and training in us at the airport and many more persons had hoped to be rehired."
Mr Johnson, who is also the DNA candidate for Pineridge, said Bahamians continue to lose jobs in Grand Bahama.
"We have record-breaking levels of unemployment currently and there appears to be a lack of care and attention by the government," he said.
"FFS, which employ Bahamians, has been forced out (of business). We will witness 45 families that will be put to hardship and loss because of the decision that was taken, and our government...has not responded at all."
"It is a travesty that we are allowing in these economic times for more jobs to be taken away from Bahamian people," he said.
"The question that needs to be asked is 'what is the response of this FNM government to the genuine needs of its people?' "
Management at the local office refused to comment on the situation, but they did confirm that the office will be closing and so far has laid off four employees with more to go in July and the remaining to go with the closure at the end of August of this year.
They were also quiet on the cause of their closure, but said only that due to certain challenges they face presently, they will have to close their doors.
It was clear that the company did not want to leave, but had found no other way out.
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