Bahamasair denies purchasing faulty aircraft

Bahamasair has described as an "outright lie" information posted online that suggested the company acquired an aircraft in 2014 with a damaged fuselage.

"Bahamasair will never place our passengers or our staff in a position where their safety is ever in jeopardy. To suggest that the company purchased a compromised aircraft was intended to create fear and concern," the company said in a statement.

"For the record," it added, "the part of the fuselage mentioned was purchased several months ago from a dismantled aircraft in Miami. The part will be used for simulated cabin training for flight attendants, who must now travel to Miami for manual training. This was enacted as part of a cost-saving initiative currently under way at Bahamasair. It is projected that this new approach will save the company in excess of US$70,000 annually."

Bahamasair said it was "greatly disturbed and disappointed that individuals would attack the integrity of the organisation, by posting erroneous and misleading information to the public.

"We believe the source of this malicious attack to be an employee, as the photograph requires someone having security access to the ramp and Bahamasair's hangar. The fact that the issue of aircraft from jet manufacturer Embraer (EMB) is once again being raised confirms our suspicion of same. The operating cost per hour for an EMB 175 is US$4,935 vs US$2,403 for the ATR, a difference of $2,532 per hour," the company said

The airline said that given the "libellous nature of the online article," it has turned the matter over to the authorities with a view to having the information removed from the site and an apology issued.

The company maintains it has undertaken several analyses with international consultants and that it has been "determined that the current fleet of Boeing 737-500 series is best suited for the airline's current international route network".