U.S. Embassy in The
Bahamas

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas – March 27, 2020
Location:  The Bahamas
Event:    Charter and Commercial Flights:  Family Islands and Nassau to the United States

Please also note the following limited commercial flights today to the United States, which may not be exhaustive and is subject to change at any time:

 Private charter airlines are readily available in The Bahamas and some operators have confirmed their ability to provide flights into the United States direct from the Family Islands. Please find contact details below for operators you may consider contacting. We encourage you to reach out to them directly with questions regarding availability and cost.

Available charter and commercial flights to the United States have the potential to cease at any moment and without notice due to a lack of passenger volume and due to the restrictions now in effect on incoming international flights.  Please check with your airline.  If you are a U.S. citizen in The Bahamas and you need to return to the United States, we urge you to leave now.   U.S. citizens who choose to remain in The Bahamas should prepare to do so for an indefinite period of time.   

The Embassy has been informed by the Bahamas’ Civil Aviation Authority that domestic commercial flights from the Family Islands to Nassau are not authorized under the current emergency orders.  Any international commercial flights currently scheduled to provide direct flights to the U.S. or Canada must arrive to The Bahamas empty.  As we have seen, passenger volume has led many flights to be canceled with little or no notice.  Furthermore, Bahamian officials have publicly discussed the likelihood of extending this emergency order until the end of April.  As a result, it could be several weeks or longer until commercial flights to these islands return.

On March 23, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas announced additional measures in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.  These additional measures include closing all airports of The Bahamas to incoming international flights carrying visitors, effective March 24 (including private airports), until March 31, 2020.  We cannot predict if, or for how long, the Bahamian government may extend these orders.  However, Bahamian government officials have already publicly discussed the likelihood of extending the emergency powers orders to combat the spread of COVID-19 for the entire month of April – including airport restrictions.

Please remember that evacuation flights by the U.S. government do not reflect standard practice and should not be relied upon.  U.S. citizens should make plans using charter and commercial travel options while they are available, and do so immediately. 

Actions to Take:  

• Follow the instructions and regulations coming from the Bahamian government; please consult https://covid19.gov.bs for the latest information on COVID-19 from the Government of The Bahamas.
• Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information and recommendations for travelers and high-risk populations.
• See the CDC’s latest recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
• Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information. 
• Visit the U.S. Embassy COVID-19 Information Page for information on conditions in The Bahamas.
• Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website for the most up-to-date information on travel restrictions to the United States.

Assistance 

 U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas

#42 Queen Street, Nassau

+1-242-322-1181 

ACSNassau@state.gov 

U.S. Embassy Nassau webpage  

For U.S. Citizens in an Emergency

Call State Department – Consular Affairs at 1 888-407-4747 (when dialing from within the U.S.) or +1 (202) 501-4444 (when dialing from overseas)

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts. 

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