AIRPORT–Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), announced on Friday that 114 aircraft have been approved to park at the airport from Friday, December 14, 2018, to Thursday, January 31, 2019, with seven pending approval. These figures span the peak period for the general aviation sector.
Boxing Day, December 26, will be the busiest day with 21 private jets expected to arrive, while Saturday, January 5, 2019, will see the largest number of departures with 15 aircraft scheduled to leave on that day.
The aircraft types have increased tremendously in comparison to previous years, with most of the jet-setters flying the latest aircraft. PJIA was ranked second in General Aviation in the Caribbean, behind the Bahamas, prior to Hurricane Irma.
Aircraft movement in this sector dropped significantly by 1,488 last year from the record 7,939 it had hit in 2016. This was due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria that forced private jets that would normally come to St. Maarten, especially from December to January, to seek other destinations.
“Under the circumstances, St. Kitts and Antigua have been cutting into our market share, but we are coming back stronger,” said Chief Operations Officer (COO) Michel Hyman on Friday.
Plans are ahead for the remodelling and upgrading of the fixed-base operations (FBO) facility which exclusively caters to high-end travel operations. The existing facility located to the West of the terminal building was used temporarily for arriving passengers post-Irma.
The remodelling of the existing FBO facility will allow the jet-set traveller to move through the processing more efficiently and offers a more spacious area with a passport control, security point and Customs. Modifications will also be made to the lounge for the luxury traveller. The new design now calls for a two-storey building, as the FBO operators will also be housed on the premises.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83902-114-aircraft-set-to-land-at-pjia-in-the-next-6-weeks
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