The Customs Landing Requirement is only delayed. What is needed now are specific, workable recommendations and regular follow-ups by all parties.
Caribbean Flying Adventures Six Point Solution
1. Create a separate App for Private Pilots – Click2Clear was designed for agents of import/export and has too many moving parts.
2. Use Fill-able C7A and ICAO General Declaration forms; pilots are already familiar with these paper documents. Customs can easily extract all the details they need from the online forms.
3. Drop passport data requirement. These are already collected by Immigration
4. Use an easy online payment app for $50 inbound processing fee and $29 departure taxes
5. Drop the threatening $5,000 fine for non-compliance
6. Retain the option of manual submission upon arrival for the few pilots who are not able to use online app; This costs nothing and saves tourism revenues that would otherwise be lost.
CLICK2CLEAR Time-Line
May 18: Everyone is blindsided by the unannounced mandate of the onerous Bahamas Customs Click2Clear landing requirement except for the AOPA Bahamas representative who noted he was aware of the intention and had been reaching out to the Bahamas government. He is stonewalled like so many others.
May 21: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism arranges a meeting with Bahamas Customs and the Bahamas Aviation Ambassadors. The outcome was not good. A meaningless nine-day delay and no firm commitment to change anything except perhaps the requirement to upload passport images.
May 22: Caribbean Flying Adventures (CFA) writes to Mark Baker encouraging his direct intervention and also contacts major Bahamas newspapers and key FBO managers around the Bahamas. AOPA receives a ton of emails and calls from Caribbean Flying Adventures member pilots urging action.
MAY 24: Mark Baker responds to CFA with a copy of the AOPA letter to the Bahamas government saying he only recently learned from “third parties” of the May 30 implementation. By now, the Bahamas press and the local aviation sector are all over the story and have involved numerous members of parliament to actively challenge the Customs initiative. The AOPA letter was a welcome component of a pressure campaign from all sides.
May 31: Bahamas customs notifies Bahamas Tourism of the decision to indefinitely suspend the application. Bahamas Customs did not copy AOPA nor any of the Bahamas FBO’s. Thanks to Bahamas Tourism’s Greg Rolle for sharing the good news.
June 1: AOPA issues a press release stating that Mark Baker learned of the problem from his AOPA Bahamas rep, which for whatever reason, is not consistent with his letter to the Bahamas on May 24 that “it has come to my attention from third parties.” An AOPA spokesman told the Bahamas Tribune Business newspaper that the organization had received “many” inquiries from private pilots voicing concern about The Bahamas’ new Click2Clear clearance system. “I am not sure of the exact number, but what I can confidently say is that there’s been many inquiries.”
June 1: CFA sends letter to Mark Baker urging AOPA to present to the Bahamas specific suggestions to simplify the application. On May 22, CFA had also provided AOPA with a detailed recommendation that would radically simplify the process. The CFA recommendations have been picked up by the Bahamas Press but need immediate backing from AOPA and others. Together, we need to insure that Click2Clear, if and when it is reintroduced, provides the Bahamas with the same information it currently receives from paper documents without dragging private pilots through an a tortuous hour of online gymnastics.
For details go to: www.CaribbeanFlyingAdventures.com or contact Jim Parker – 305-667-6282 or Jim@CaribbeanFlyingAdventures.com.
