BAHAMAS DELAYS CLICK2CLEAR CUSTOMS ROLLOUT AFTER AOPA REQUEST

AOPA President Mark Baker received notice on May 31 that the acting Comptroller of Bahamas Customs, Paul Munroe, called for a delay in implementing the program “pending further discussion by Customs, government officials and programmers to address reasonable concerns expressed by stakeholders.”

“My sincere appreciation to Mr. Munroe, as well as those in the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. This decision reflects leadership and the great working partnership AOPA enjoys with the Bahamas. Our shared goal is to ensure pilots continue flying to the beautiful Islands of the Bahamas,” said Baker.

After learning from CST Flight Services Director Rick Gardner, who also serves as a Bahamas Flying Ambassador, that the Click2Clear program had a number of technical issues, Baker sent a May 24 letter to Bahamas officials requesting a delay in the rollout of the program. He cited the need for more time to address the issues and also to help pilots understand the online process.

“This pause will allow the necessary time to obtain feedback from impacted stakeholders to make any necessary improvements to the Click2Clear initiative, provide education and training on any new customs processes, and implement the initiative during a lower air traffic period to avoid confusion and any major disruptions in the event of a system malfunction,” Baker wrote in the letter.

The letter also mentioned that AOPA is a significant supporter of travel to the Bahamas, including the popular AOPA Pilot Guide: Bahamas Edition, which has been the go-to resource for private pilots flying to the Bahamas for many years.

AOPA will continue to update members on discussions concerning Click2Clear and any new implementation date.

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