So knowing that possibility exists how do you feel about spending on a huge new capital project while we are in the middle of a debt crisis?

I know how I feel and I’m clicking my heels together as we speak!

Taxi drivers will complain, but they complain about everything so for once lets consider what the customer might like.

Is a dock part of the airport plan?

In the long term BDA gets an airport and has much reduced maintenance liability so an effective cut in the budget allocation.

The annual costs will usually be private and will usually depend upon the hand back date, but payment should come simply from the airport traffic. Costs will only increase for flyers if that period is set short by the client. That is a valid business decision balanced by the BDA Govt in this case against arrivals and price tolerance and agreed with the private partner.

From the same fees that are currently levied and improved efficiencies of the facility from modern construction and reduced maintenance costs.

They will be in the construction, airport concessions and operations. Unfortunately there is no BDA company with the required expertise to undertake this solo. However with a foreign company there is also no local liability for failure or overspend which has generally not been pursued historically.

They have just sealed a del that would undoubtedly have required a great deal of confidentiality for business reasons. If there is no information in the future this would be a fair gripe.

Personally I vote for “Kindley Field Airport” or “Bermuda Airport” – radical I know, but they sort of ring of true to me.

Secondly, we are all aware of the deficit that exists and this will bring $200M in to the Bermuda economy now which would not be the case if it were Government funded. This will balance some of the lost $Ms of BDA taxpayer money with foreign capital.

While we do not know the details, it is normal for such concessions to revert ownership to the domicile country. This will certainly happen before the new airport is as old as the existing one. Long term viability is usually balanced by improvements in efficiency which should be significant given the aging infrastructure and should provide a long term saving to Government (removal of maintenance liability) until the hand over of the concession.

All in all it appears a modest, affordable model and if project managed effectively a huge boost to Bermuda.

I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to pay for it, but maybe I can charge people to come swim in it after it’s built or maybe I will have to sell it and the land it’s on to one of my neighbours after it’s built because otherwise I may go bankrupt.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? Or do you think I should pay off my debts before indulging in such a ridiculous, frivolous head-in-the-clouds fantasy first?

No wait… why am I asking you your opinion? It’s obviously a brilliant idea because it came out of my amazing brain. Yep, I going to announce it to everyone as a fait accompli later today! I’m sure they will all totally love the idea! Man am I good or what!

Be good to walk through a jet way and not out in to all the elements.

Where we would get the money from now for that project? No idea, and as mentioned elsewhere, it’s not a future revenue earner the way that a new airport would be.

It is a miracle that we can still borrow cheaply.

Got any more suggestions. Remember now, must be people who made major contributions to the wellbeing of Bermuda. You know. People who actually created jobs.

MONEY.

|Shalom.