One Encourages Government To Increase Recently-Imposed Fees, One Calls For Their Reversal

There are two pilot's guides that are published for flying the Caribbean, and they are split on the issue of user fees and taxes recently imposed on GA airplanes using Caribbean airports and aviation services.

Caribbean Flying Adventures, which in a news release says it is the only "up-to-date guide and also the sole advocate for U.S. and Canadian general aviation pilots flying to the Bahamas and Caribbean islands," claims to be leading the charge to reverse the fee increases in the Bahamas for private pilots. In the release, CFA says it has successfully eliminated government charges in the Dominican Republic for visiting general aviation aircraft and reduced airports fees from as high as $500 to between $0 and $50. "CFA also worked successfully with the Bahamas and The Caymans to extend the deadlines for the 406ELT and obtained blanket permissions welcoming experimental aircraft to The Caymans and Dominican Republic," the publishers say. "There are no other advocates:  no pilot’s associations - no escorted tour operators – no service providers.  Caribbean Flying Adventures alone is filling the void, fighting to keep fees low and island airports user friendly."

CFA says its competitor, "The Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide," issued a letter July 9th encouraging The Bahamas government to increase taxes on general aviation. In the letter, forwarded to ANN by CFA, the publishers of "The Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide" point out that "(t)he U.S. has a fuel tax for the County, State, and Federal governments: about 75 cents per gallon total. Fuel prices in the Bahamas are comparable to U.S. prices. Is the Bahamian government getting any money from fuel sales? There probably needs to be more taxation in the Bahamas if they are going to keep pace. This is a big subject, and a controversial one. The point is ... the Bahamas does a lot with a little!"

Caribbean Flying Adventures is continuing to pressure the Bahamas government to reverse what the company says are the "ill-advised" fee increases effective July 1, 2013.

FMI: www.caribbeanflyingadventures.com, www.pilotpub.com