"Nassau Airport Management Firm Has "Strong Team" On Ground"

Monday, October 23, 2006

Airport Management Firm Has "Strong Team" On Ground
By Quincy Parker 
The Bahama Journal


Vancouver Airport Services CEO George Casey has confirmed that the company
is having little trouble finding Canadian candidates for two unfilled top
posts at the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

The heads of agreement was signed in January, and the company - whose French
initials are YVRAS - began advertising on its website for both Marketing and
Commercial Vice Presidents.

"We're not having a tremendous amount of difficulty in filling the positions
associated with this initiative," Mr. Casey told the Journal.

"It is a very interesting and challenging public private partnership from an
airport professional perspective, to take over an airport of this size, to
undertake a capital programme, to work with the stakeholders in the
government moving forward - it's an exciting undertaking."

Three of those top executives were present at the signing of the 10-year,
$225 million contract on Thursday; Chief Financial Officer Stewart Steves;
Vice President of Operations Laurie Chambers and Chief Executive Officer
Craig Richmond.

All three come from YVRAS' flagship operation, Vancouver International
Airport, although Mr. Steves was also affiliated with Hamilton Airport.

Mr. Casey said it was important to have a strong core management team on the
ground as the contract was signed, and that by the time the transfer of
operational responsibilities is complete the other two positions ought to be
filled.

"So when full integration and takeover takes place early in the year, we'll
have that team in place and those individuals will be focused on the
technology transfer, the identification of personnel for training within our
system, and moving forward on our commitments under the management
agreement," he said.

Prime Minister Perry Christie made note of this intention to train Bahamians
to take over the management of the airport as he witnessed the signing of
the contract.

"And so Vancouver Airport Services, as is it's international record, has
committed to ensuring that Bahamians have every opportunity to be trained
within their system of airports internationally, with a view to their
assuming prominent roles in their operations in The Bahamas," he said.

YVRAS is an airport manager, operator and developer, with contracts at 18
airports in six other countries: Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Dominican Republic,
Jamaica, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

In 2005, the YVRAS network of airports recorded consolidated revenue of
$210.8 million and consolidated passenger traffic totalling 16.8 million. 

The Marketing executive's primary responsibilities will include development
and implementation of marketing strategies to increase passenger and cargo
volumes and aviation support business at the airport.

The Commercial vice president will be asked to direct and manage the retail
and commercial development and implementation at the airport in order to
maximize revenue opportunities and enhance the airport's competitive
position.

According to Mr. Casey and chairman of the Nassau Airport Development
Company (NAD) Anthony Kikivarakis, one of the hallmarks of Vancouver Airport
Services (YVRAS) operation is the creation of a local "sense of place" at
the airports it manages.

Prime Minister Christie noted this particular qualification as one that made
YVRAS stand out.

"When I first had an experience with Vancouver Airport Services, what
commended them to my attention was the fact that they seem to have a skill
and a commitment to integrating into the airport in a physical sense a
flavour of the culture of the country, of the community that their airport
was placed in," he said.

"And so I truly am looking forward to seeing the interpretation that they
will give, and how that will manifest itself at the [Lynden Pindling]
International Airport to ensure that people who are landing there or leaving
there have the first and last impressions of having truly been in the
Commonwealth of The Bahamas."

Mr. Casey anticipated that there would be no difficulty in creating that
sense of place.

"The Bahamian culture leaves us many opportunities to integrate the local
sense of place, whether it be through Junkanoo, whether it be a focus and
success with your athletes abroad as you see in the airport now, art, music,
the culture of The Bahamas. It's very dynamic," he said.

"The key thing we find, and we're almost bombarded by potential
opportunities in (creating a local sense of place), is working together,
almost in a committee form to really get the sense of place choice right."

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