George Town Airport

The airport was closed because it was replaced by the new, larger Exuma International Airport. The original airfield (BS-0018) was too small, with a runway that was inadequate for the larger, faster aircraft (including jets) needed to support the burgeoning tourism industry in the Exuma islands. The new airport was constructed at a more suitable location with a longer runway and modern facilities to accommodate international flights and significantly more passenger traffic, which was essential for the region's economic development.

The site of the former airport is completely decommissioned and has been redeveloped. While the faint outline of the former north-south runway can still be traced on satellite imagery, it is no longer intact or usable for any aviation purposes. The land has been repurposed for community infrastructure. Notably, the southern portion of the old runway and surrounding area is now the location of the L.N. Coakley High School and its athletic facilities, including a running track. Roads and other local buildings also now occupy parts of the former airfield.

This was the original airfield for George Town, the main settlement of the Exuma islands. For several decades, it served as the primary air link for the community, handling general aviation, private charters, and small-scale commercial flights on propeller aircraft. It was the crucial gateway for the first wave of tourists, residents, mail, and supplies, connecting Great Exuma to Nassau and the rest of the world. Its operation was fundamental to the island's accessibility and early economic growth before it was rendered obsolete by the demands of modern air travel.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening this airport. Its function has been entirely and permanently replaced by the modern and far more capable Exuma International Airport (MYEF). Given that the original site has been significantly redeveloped with permanent structures like a school and public roads, reopening is logistically infeasible, economically unjustifiable, and strategically unnecessary.