"The runway has a lot of uneven surfaces," Western Air president and CEO Sherrexcia "Rexy" Rolle told The Tribune at the start of October. She explained that planes "experience very rough take-offs and landings because the runway is sunken in different places." The airline's last scheduled North Eleuthera flight ran on Friday, October 2, and it has said it will return only once the runway is fixed.
For Harbour Island homeowners, the repaving is the main story, but it isn't the whole picture. The repair now wrapping up is a patch. It also sits on an air link that was already thin before the asphalt gave way. Hosting guests this winter depends on seat counts, ferry days and the holiday calendar more than on the date the paving crews leave.
What the Repair Fixes, and What It Doesn't
Here is the October sequence as The Tribune reported it:
- October 2. Western Air flew its last scheduled North Eleuthera service before the suspension.
- Around October 7. Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting said equipment was on the ground and paving was expected to start that evening. Crews would work overnight until about 4 a.m. so the airport could stay open. Asphalt had to be trucked from southern to northern Eleuthera, and his 12-day estimate depended on weather and on whatever crews found under the runway.
- October 8 to 12. Harbour Island Homecoming ran on top of the suspension.
- October 20. Sweeting told reporters that, weather permitting, the work should be finished by the end of that week and the resurfaced runway should be ready the following week. Until then it was closing around 5 p.m. each day for the work.
There are two finish lines in that timeline. The minister's October 20 remarks said striping would follow the resurfacing. Earlier in the month, the paving contractor, Bahamas Striping, said the new asphalt needs 30 days to cure before its crew can return to apply markings that meet Civil Aviation Authority requirements. If paving ended in the last week of October, a 30-day cure counted from then would run into late November. The usable runway the minister described and the fully marked, compliant runway the contractor described may arrive at different times. Western Air has tied its return to the repairs, so its restart date is the clearest sign of which finish line counts.
The surface going down now is also temporary. In The Tribune's October 7 report, Sweeting called it an "overhaul of the runway to ensure that all planes can land there safely." Separately, a permanent airside project would bring a new, longer runway and an apron for larger aircraft that would also serve a planned airport development farther east. Bids for that work were submitted in late September and are being evaluated. They then go to the Inter-American Development Bank for its no-objection process, and no completion date has been given. The patch is meant to get the island through this season. The permanent runway is still in procurement.
The Seats That Were There Before the Runway Failed
The suspension mattered so much because of how few seats were left. On October 1, former North Eleuthera MP Rickey Mackey told The Tribune that Southern Air was the only carrier still flying daily to North Eleuthera, since Pineapple Air had discontinued its service. He said Southern Air carries at most 15 passengers per flight, and Bahamasair flies to the island at least once a week.
With Western Air out, the daily domestic link to Harbour Island's main airport came down to one airline with fewer seats than a modest dinner party. These are the published options for the weeks ahead:
| Route | Operator | Frequency and capacity | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau to North Eleuthera | Southern Air | Daily, up to 15 passengers per flight, per an October 1 account in The Tribune | Seat availability on holiday dates |
| Nassau to North Eleuthera | Bahamasair | At least weekly, per the same account | Current schedule |
| Nassau to North Eleuthera | Western Air | Suspended since October 2 pending runway repairs | Restart date |
| Fort Lauderdale and Stuart to North Eleuthera | Tradewind Aviation | Scheduled service advertised on the operator's North Eleuthera page | Winter 2026–27 days of operation |
| Nassau to Harbour Island by sea | Bahamas Ferries, M/V Bo Hengy III | Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, calling at Spanish Wells | Holiday-week sailings and current fares |
For guests coming from the United States, Tradewind Aviation's North Eleuthera page is the direct route that skips Nassau entirely. For everyone routing through Nassau, the choice is between a small number of small-aircraft seats and a ferry that runs three days a week.
Homecoming Was the Stress Test
The suspension came just days before thousands of people were expected to travel for Harbour Island Homecoming, which runs October 8 to 12 and is one of Eleuthera's biggest cultural events. The festival was expected to bring 15 to 20 vendors. Javaughn Rolle, chairman of the North for the Harbour Island Commonage Committee, told The Tribune that most vendors knew ahead of time that this year's celebrations could face challenges. Those who didn't were looking for ways to recover what they had invested.
In the same account, Rolle said the community was taken aback by the decision but understood why the runway had to be repaired, since residents had wanted airport improvements too. Western Air's Rolle had also pointed out that North Eleuthera air traffic was projected to rise in October. So the island's biggest homecoming weekend took place on reduced air capacity, overnight paving and a runway that closed in the evening. The next demand peak, the December holidays, will put the same narrow link under load. Even if the runway has fully reopened by then, Southern Air's 15-seat aircraft won't hold more passengers.
Planning December Around Three Ferry Days
The ferry's fixed weekly rhythm makes it the easiest piece of the holiday plan to map. Bahamas Ferries lists the M/V Bo Hengy III leaving Nassau at 8:00 a.m. and arriving at Harbour Island at 11:10 a.m. The return leaves at 3:40 p.m. and reaches Nassau at 6:30 p.m. VAT-inclusive adult fares are $139 one way and $257 round trip. Children's fares are $103 one way and $185 round trip. The operator says rates can change without notice and that service depends on weather and operating conditions.
Set against the 2026 calendar, that schedule has a few practical consequences:
- Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday. Both are regular Bo Hengy days, but the operator notes that holidays and special events override the published schedule, so neither sailing is assured until Bahamas Ferries confirms it.
- Boxing Day and New Year's Day are Junkanoo days in Dunmore Town by long-standing custom, according to the official Harbour Island visitor guide. New Year's Day 2027 is also a Friday, so guests who want to be on the island for either rush would need to arrive on an earlier sailing or by air.
- The 3:40 p.m. return leaves a guest about four and a half hours on the island after the 11:10 a.m. arrival. That's enough for a day visit from Nassau but not for someone connecting to an evening international departure without a cushion.
- A Wednesday arrival with a Saturday departure fits a short visit entirely within the published sailing pattern, without depending on air seats.
The air side needs the same planning. When The Tribune last reported on the works, on October 21, the runway was closing around 5 p.m. daily. Evening hours may be back to normal by the time you read this, but late-day arrivals should be confirmed with the airline before a guest books an onward connection around them. The same goes for Western Air. Its suspension notice gave no restart date, and passengers on cancelled North Eleuthera flights were told they could request refunds by email, with tickets remaining valid for one year. Anyone holding an October ticket from the suspension still has that credit to use for a later trip.
For a household expecting guests between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the most reliable plan looks like this. Book the ferry for the fixed Wednesday, Friday and Saturday days. Book the few daily air seats early. Treat Western Air's return and any added capacity as a bonus, not something to count on. As The Tribune put it on October 21, the airport's condition "has been a concern for years," and North Eleuthera is a major gateway to Harbour Island.
If you're coordinating holiday arrivals, preparing a home for guests or arranging a house to be ready before you land, the team at Chancellors KW Bahamas can help plan the logistics around this season's schedules. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation.
