118 Mexican workers who were granted work permits to help rebuild Baker’s Bay Resort, while thousands of Bahamians are out of work, arrived in The Bahamas on a Bahamasair jet in the dead of night.
The Bahamasair flight from San Jose Del Cabo arrived at Lynden Pindling International Airport at 4:30am today.
Gallery videos show the long line of Mexicans in the Departures terminal of Lynden Pindling International Airport this morning waiting to check in for one of two Bahamasair flights on the airline’s ATR-72 into Marsh Harbour, Abaco.
The men are all seen dressed in a uniform of a light blue button down and khaki pants.
They all wore masks as they stood six feet apart on the line while holding one piece of luggage and one carry-on.
Bahamasair sent a jet into San Jose del Cabo, Mexico to collect the Mexicans for Bakers Bay, which is rebuilding in phases after suffering extensive damage during Hurricane Dorian last September.
The National flag carrier committed to flying in the foreign workers from San Jose Del Cabo to Nassau then transport them to Marsh Harbour.
“To all, this will confirm Bahamasair’s commitment to provide 1 B737-700, 138 seat aircraft on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 services into San Jose Del Cabo (SJD) and two ATR-72 from Nassau to Marsh Harbour on Thursday, July 2, 2020 and return (TBA) on behalf of Baker’s Bay,” according to a memo, which copies Bahamasair Managing Director Tracy Cooper, Betty Benoit of Leisure Travel and Tours Limited and Bahamasair Senior Manager of Pricing and Inventory Darlicia Emmanuel.
The Gallery has been reliably informed that this is just the first of three Bahamasair flights into Mexico to pick up workers.
Baker’s Bay initially requested 500 work permits but was granted 300, according to a letter from the National Economic Council.
Bahamians are left questioning why Mexican workers are being used to jumpstart Abaco’s economy while thousands of people have been laid off over the last three months during the worst economic and health crisis in recorded history? And why is the national flag carrier being used to bring in foreign workers as local contractors complain that their industry is being decimated by the importation of work permit holders?