2014: An Infrastructure Milestone for an Airport in the Bahamas

May 27, 2014

In the Bahamas, a newly built terminal for an airport in the town of Marsh Harbour first went into service. Marsh Harbour, which is located on Great Abaco Island (the largest of the country’s Abaco Islands), has achieved renown over the years as a major tourist attraction.

“The 46,000 square foot [4,300 square meter] international terminal in Marsh Harbour is complete and open for business,” confirmed the Bahamas-based Eleutheran Newspaper at the time of the structure’s public debut. Construction on this terminal for what was then known as Marsh Harbour International Airport began in September 2011. This building was designed by Bahamian architect Donald Dean.

The key features of the terminal at the time of its opening included a state-of-the-art luggage scanning system; a total of 22 counter positions; a pilot briefing room; a lounge; two restaurants; various shops; and a public parking area.

Another significant change for the airport took place on May 25, 2016, when it was formally renamed in memory of Leonard M. Thompson (1917-2008). An aviation pioneer, Thompson was born in Hope Town on Great Abaco Island. During World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and flew a total of 25 combat missions. Thompson’s active military service ended in 1944, when he was shot down in the skies above Germany and remained a prisoner of war until the end of the war in the European Theater the following year.

After his subsequent return to the Bahamas, Thompson made a wide range of noteworthy contributions to the country’s fledgling aviation industry. These included working extensively as a commercial pilot and launching several airline companies.

Leonard M. Thompson International Airport is second only to Lynden Pindling International Airport, which is located near the Bahamas’ capital city of Nassau, as the busiest airport in the country.  

Photo Credit: Nardo242 (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

For more information on Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (originally called Marsh Harbour International Airport), please check out https://flyxo.com/airport/myam/

Additional information on airports in the Bahamas is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_the_Bahamas