By LEDEDRA MARCHE

Senior FN Reporter

lededra@nasguard.com

Grand Bahama is one step closer to returning to normal two and a half months after the island was devastated by two hurricanes with the reopening of the U.S. Pre-Clearance Section at the Grand Bahama International Airport.

The move is expected to have a tremendous impact on the island, boosting tourism and making international travel easier.

The Grand Bahama Airport Company confirmed yesterday that U.S. Customs, Border Protect-ion U.S. Pre-Clearance is now fully operational.

The pre-clearance section at the International terminal was shut down days before Hurricane Frances hit in September but became operational on Thursday.

The island's tourism industry took a hard blow after the first storm on September 3 and, before it could recover, suffered an even bigger jolt three weeks later with the second storm, inevitably causing a domino effect on the island's economy.

With all ports of entry closed days after the storms, travel to and from the island was impossible and reports reaching would-be visitors gave accounts of a devastated Grand Bahama with no essentials — electricity, water or communication.

But the island has been transformed over the past weeks and, much to the surprise of many visitors, the turn around time has been remarkable.

The Grand Bahama International Airport also suffered flood damage and the Domestic Terminal was completely destroyed.

Navigational aids were also destroyed by Hurricane Frances.

The new state-of-the art International Terminal, constructed at a cost of $30 million, was opened in June and the old terminal building was being utilized for domestic travel only.

The Lucayan Harbour was reopened just after the hurricanes to accommodate relief supplies and the airport was eventually opened and restricted to daytime flying only.

Meanwhile, tourism officials have launched an intense marketing campaign to promote airlift to the island.

Night flights were resumed two weeks ago today, following the replacement of navigational equipment.

The GBAC is in the process of locating a temporary building for use as a terminal for domestic passengers.

In a press release Tuesday, officials revealed the building should arrive in Grand Bahama and be operational by mid-December.

The former building once served the Grand Bahama community as a domestic and international terminal for decades and became a permanent fixture on the island.

With the reopening of the pre-clearance section, airport officials say some inconvenience will be suffered by domestic passengers transiting the airport.

That facility was used as a security checkpoint for domestic travel in the absence of the U.S. Border Protection Pre-Clearance operation.

One of those inconveniences is a security checkpoint now fixed outside the terminal building. After undergoing the security check, passengers are bused to the departure areas.

Meanwhile, GBAC apologizes for any discomfort caused to domestic passengers and says it will make every effort to have the temporary terminal up and running as soon as possible.