Air Transat getting the customary inaugural greeting.
Minister Johnson hands a welcome plaque to Captain K.C. Aatecma to mark the return of Air Transat to St. Maarten on Saturday.
AIRPORT–Air Transat has returned to St. Maarten following a fifteen-month hiatus caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria back in September 2017. The return of Air Transat now creates direct flight opportunities for persons wanting to travel to Canada.
The airline’s Boeing 737-700 aircraft landed on Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) at 12:05pm Saturday, December 22, with 144 passengers who were all “eager to return to the Friendly Island” after not being able to visit since 2017. Minister of Tourism Stuart Johnson greeted the flight and welcomed the captain and crew back to the island. Johnson said the return of this airline is crucial because it helps to tell the story of St. Maarten’s recovery post-Irma.
“We have to continue to let the world know that St. Maarten is opened for business and that is what the return of the many airlines we have been working with, signals internationally,” he said on Wednesday. “In 2019 we will build on the momentum that has been created this year, with our tourism partners on the Northern side of the island, to ensure the message that we are open for business reaches all corners of the globe.”
According to Air Transat station manager in St. Maarten Evelyn Munoz, the airline offers a “seasonal service” to St. Maarten and is now able to offer commercial flights to persons wishing to travel to Canada. She said, “We are delighted to be back, and we are especially happy with the service from PJIA and the assistance we have received from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau.”
The direct flights to Montreal and Toronto are offered every Saturday, departing St. Maarten at 1:15pm to Toronto and 5:00pm to Montreal.
Munoz said that while in the past Air Transact had offered only chartered service to St. Maarten for hotels in French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten, “I am very pleased that we can now offer full commercial flights to residents and visitors alike who wish to travel to Canada.” Interested persons can book flights via
www.Airtransact.com or from any local travel agency.
Also present for the welcome ceremony were members of the PJIA marketing team and representatives of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) and the French side’s Tourist Office.
The return flight was captained by K.C. Aatecma, who incidentally was station manager for Air Transat in St. Maarten and piloted for Winair several years ago. His first officer was François Lupiden.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83973-144-touch-down-with-air-transat
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