Nassau. The way into the Bahamas, and the place you clear America.
Lynden Pindling International sits ten miles west of the town, with a private terminal, two long runways and a United States preclearance facility that turns the flight home into a domestic arrival.
The airport
Lynden Pindling at a glance
- CodesNAS / MYNNLynden Pindling International Airport, on the western end of New Providence, about sixteen kilometres from downtown Nassau.
- RunwaysAbout 3,358 m and 2,537 mThe main runway takes any business aircraft, including ultra long range jets arriving direct from Europe, and VIP airliners.
- Private arrivalsA private aviation terminal on the fieldSeparate from the commercial building, with its own apron, lounges and handling. Most private traffic to the Bahamas comes through here.
- PreclearanceUnited States customs and immigration, on departureNassau is one of a small number of places outside the United States where you clear American entry formalities before you fly. Precleared flights land in the States as domestic arrivals.
Preclearance for a private aircraft is arranged in advance, and it is point to point: the flight goes from Nassau to the one designated United States airport it was cleared for, with no diversion en route. Your operator and handler set it up; it is worth deciding on it early, because it changes the whole shape of the departure day.
Journey times
From the airport by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Lyford Cay | 15 to 25 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Cable Beach and the Baha Mar resorts | 15 to 25 minutes | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Downtown Nassau and the harbour | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Paradise Island | 25 to 40 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Old Fort Bay | 15 to 25 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| The eastern end of New Providence | 35 to 50 minutes | 50 to 70 minutes |
New Providence is small and the distances are short, but a single bridge carries everything onto Paradise Island and the road through town is slow when a cruise ship is in. Realistic ranges, not promises.
Why clients come
One island that opens seven hundred more
Nassau is rarely the destination. It is the point at which a long flight from Europe or a short one from Florida turns into something smaller: a light aircraft to Exuma, a helicopter to a cay, a boat to Harbour Island, or a yacht waiting in the harbour. Planning the arrival means planning the change of gauge, because the second leg is almost always the one with the constraint. Smaller aircraft mean less luggage, shorter strips and, on some islands, daylight only. See the Bahamas, the Caribbean and turboprops.
On New Providence itself, the private addresses are clustered west of the airport, which is unusually convenient: Albany, Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay are all closer to the runway than the town is. The resorts on Cable Beach and Paradise Island are the other way, and Paradise Island in particular depends on a single bridge that can queue.
Our own cars and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In the Bahamas, cars are arranged through operators we know. One point worth knowing before the first junction: the Bahamas drive on the left, as Britain does, although most vehicles on the road are left hand drive imports from the United States. Visitors find it disconcerting. A local chauffeur does not.
The calendar
The season, and the months to be careful with
The high season runs from December to April, and the fortnight around Christmas and the New Year is the hardest of the year for aircraft parking, berths and villas alike. Easter and the American spring holidays are the next tightest. Everything is planned months ahead, not weeks.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to the end of November, with the greatest activity between August and October. Most trips in those months pass without incident, but the sensible approach is to watch the forecasts, keep the itinerary flexible, and agree in advance what happens if a system approaches. We would rather have that conversation in July than on the morning it matters.
For departures back to the United States, the preclearance facility is the single most useful thing about Nassau, and it rewards an early decision. Precleared, your aircraft arrives in the States as a domestic flight and your cars meet you at the terminal door with nothing to clear. Left to the day, it is not an option you can add. See private jet charter and how charter works.
Onward
Around a Bahamas trip
The United States
Request a proposal
Tell us the whole trip
Dates, where you are flying from, how many of you, how much luggage, and where you are going after Nassau. Tell us if a yacht or an onward island is part of it, and whether you want the departure precleared for the United States. We will set out the aircraft, the handling, the cars and the onward leg as one plan. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Nassau arrivals
What is preclearance, and can a private flight use it?
It means clearing United States immigration and customs in Nassau before you fly, so you land in the States as a domestic arrival. Private flights can use it, arranged in advance through your operator and handler. It is point to point to one designated American airport, with no diversion permitted.
Which aircraft can land at Nassau?
The main runway is about 3,358 metres, so anything up to and including ultra long range jets and VIP airliners. See ultra long range jets and private jet charter.
How long is the drive to Albany or Lyford Cay?
Both are west of the airport and closer to it than the town is: roughly fifteen to twenty five minutes outside the busy periods.
Can we go straight on to another island?
Usually yes, by light aircraft, helicopter or boat. That leg has the tighter limits on luggage and daylight, so we plan it first and fit the rest around it.
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In the Bahamas cars are arranged through operators we know.
What about hurricane season?
June to the end of November, with the most activity from August to October. Most trips are unaffected, but we will agree what happens if a system approaches before you travel rather than during it.
One contact, wherever you are