Sept. 13, 2019
At Odyssey Aviation’s Lynden Pindling International Airport FBO in Nassau, Bahamas, employees and volunteers have been working around the clock to help with Hurricane Dorian relief efforts since the storm hit the island nation over Labor Day weekend.
“We have already processed well over 2,000 evacuees through the Odyssey facility, and we expect that number to double,” said Odyssey President Steven Kelly. “We have created a makeshift triage center to assist with the evacuees that are arriving with immediate medical attention, nourishment and fluids. Loads of relief items have been arriving since the storm passed and continue to come from around the world.”
Although the FBO has facilities at five Bahamas airports, the Nassau FBO is the main launch site for a majority of Dorian relief airlift, acting as a base for local government, relief agencies, first responders, support teams and more.
“Local civic organizations, such as Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and charities, have all been a part of the relief effort at Odyssey,” said Kelly. “Without this help, our monumental task would be far greater.” Kelly noted that the U.S. Department of Defense also has been working tirelessly from the Odyssey ramp.
In order to accommodate the influx of evacuees and relief workers, tents have even been set up at the FBO’s Nassau facility.
The FBO chain has established a Hurricane Dorian relief fund, and has been given the status of a “Local Approved Relief Group” endorsement from the Bahamian government. The 700 islands of the Bahamas stretch from near Florida to Cuba, the company noted, with the Central and Southern islands not suffering any hurricane damage – so the rest of the island nation is open for business.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.