Above: a Bahamasair plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Bahamian national carrier Bahamasair has resumed regularly-scheduled flights to the island of Mayaguana.

Service officially returned on Monday, after a five-year hiatus in large part due to a runway that had fallen into disrepair on the island.

New repairs to the airport’s runway include solar lighting, along with plans for a major upgrade to the terminal building set for completion in August or September.

Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie was on hand on Tuesday for a ceremony welcoming the carrier back to the island.

Christie said the government was looking to develop new opportunities for the island, with a focus on tourism.

“We are not here just because we put in a modern air strip or we caused roads to be repaired or put here or we caused water improvements,” he said. “Because you can’t eat that. I’m coming back to talk business.”