What’s really flying on Bahamasair?
Opposition Leader Michael Pintard’s claim about a “bag of passports” heading ‘south’ on a Bahamasair flight, and The Tribune’s report on an anonymous former Bahamasair flight attendant who was fired after being linked to a US$106,000 seizure in Haiti, raise troubling questions about governance, security, and oversight at the national airline.
While the government has moved quickly to deny Pintard’s passport allegation, the existence of a real, documented internal investigation surrounding a large cash seizure suggests that something is clearly wrong at Bahamasair.
Together, these stories point to deeper institutional issues, possibly extending beyond Bahamasair into the country’s immigration and border control.
Based on The Tribune’s interview, the former employee produced evidence that he was fired following an internal investigation tied to the US$106,000 seizure.
That alone lends weight to Pintard’s broader warnings about misconduct within the government-run airline, even if the specific passport allegation has not yet been proven.
The government’s strong and immediate denials regarding the passport claim may be politically necessary. However, in a society of low public trust, blanket denials without disclosure can also create suspicions, especially when a separate, serious incident involving the same airline is already on the record.
Whether or not Pintard’s claim proves to be fully accurate, the cash-seizure case gives him a stronger argument that irregular and dangerous practices are taking place at Bahamasair.
These practices carry significant national security implications.
Failing to confront this openly could cost the government credibility, both politically and in the eyes of the public.
The former flight attendant told The Tribune it was “no secret” that employees often carry bags for each other and, at times, even for managers, as a “favour.”
He also claimed that one coworker later refused to transport a bag after discovering several passports inside.
Pintard, in talking to Guardian Radio “Talking Heads,” on Tuesday, said he believed that the airline has been used to transport money and passports.
