NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his Official Remarks at the Long Island Airport Runway Contract Signing with Bahamas Hot Mix, on June 18, 2025, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis stated that the signing signaled “the start of the economic heavy lifting that Long Island has needed for far too long”.
“This is a community that has given much to The Bahamas – building contractors, farmers, teachers, fishermen, police officers, and leaders – and yet, for years, what they’ve received in return has fallen short of what was fair,” he said at the event held at the Office of the Prime Minister on Cable Beach. “Development came slowly. Promises were made, but little changed.
“That pattern ends with us.”
Among those present included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper; Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs the Hon. Clay Sweeting; and Permanent Secretary Dr. Anya Symonette; Director of Aviation and Deputy Director General of Tourism Dr. Kenneth Romer; Director of Works Robert Mouzas; and Managing Director at Bahamas Hot Mix Company, Ltd. Ebbi Saidi.
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that the new runway will unlock real opportunity, making Long Island “more accessible for domestic and international flights, safer for travel, and more attractive to investors, tourists, and returning Bahamians”.
He said: “Better infrastructure brings more than convenience – it brings confidence. Confidence in building a home, confidence in opening a business, confidence in raising a family. It allows people to stay rooted in their community while reaching the rest of the country and the world.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “This runway, combined with the recent road and water project, represents a clear, coordinated vision for Long Island; one that treats the island not as an afterthought, but as a priority; one that backs up talk with action.”
He pointed out that his Government expects that project to create jobs for Bahamians, particularly Long Islanders, and his Government will ensure that it moves forward with “accountability, transparency, and the required urgency”.
Prime Minister Davis also thanked Bahamas Hot Mix for partnering with his Government to bring the runway to life, and the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, especially Minister Clay Sweeting, and the Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, and other stakeholders, for their role in “untapping and opening up real opportunities in Long Island”.
“This island has always held promise rich in history, culture, and character; but for too long, the necessary infrastructure was missing,” he noted. “That is what we are building now, piece by piece.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “We started with roads; then came the waterworks; today, the runway; and very soon, within 60 days, the terminal. We are moving forward with plans for a new, modern 10,000-square-foot terminal, equipped with customs and immigration services. This will transform the airport into a formal port of entry – welcoming not just visitors, but returning sons and daughters of Long Island. It’s more than a building. It will be a gateway to possibility.”
“Jets will be able to land with ease,” he continued. “International flights will have a clear destination. Businesses will find it easier to move people and goods. Families will be better connected; and a new standard of development will be set.”
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that the greatest opportunity was in what the project makes possible.
“For Long Islanders living abroad whether in Nassau, Grand Bahama, the U.S., or elsewhere, this work sends a message: the time to come home is drawing nigh,” he said. “Your island is changing. The infrastructure is coming into place. The barriers that pushed so many away are starting to fall.”
He added: “We are building an island that welcomes you back not just for holidays or retirement – but for business, for family, for life. Today goes beyond roads, runways, or terminals. It’s about a return: a return to roots; a return to community. Return to your home. With every investment we make, we unlock the capital and confidence already here quietly held in the hands of people who never stopped believing in this place.”
Prime Minister stated that Long Island did not need to be reinvented.
“It needs to be supported,” he said. “And once supported, it will rise.”
“We’re doing the work to make that rise real, for the people here now and for those ready to come back and finish what they started,” Prime Minister Davis added.
“And I can clearly say, it is truly a new day in Long Island.”
