Passengers boarding an aircraft of Sky High Airlines at F.D. Roosevelt Airport.
ST. EUSTATIUS–By land or by sea, travelling to and from St. Eustatius has had a boost over the last several months.
After Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island in September 2017, travel to and from Statia was on an emergency-basis only, which left the island more or less isolated. The only commercial airline that flew to Statia was Windward Islands Airways International Winair. With Winair flights halted, and with tourism being the backbone of the island, this left Statia in rather dire straits.
The introduction of Sky High Airlines on September 15, 2017, brought a much-needed increase in the mode of transport to and from Statia. Sky High even made a chartered flight from Curaçao to bring stranded passengers home.
Passengers who travel on Sky High can continue their travels to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and onward to the Netherlands, as well as travel to Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire and other locations.
The boon in travel is not limited to air travel, travelling by sea has also seen a vast increase. The introduction of the Edge ferry, and private charter boats has allowed persons to travel to and from Statia freely.
Many persons took advantage of the increase in travel mode to travel to sister island St. Kitts on various private charters to enjoy the Carnival festivities there.
Forty passengers travelled to St. Maarten for a weekend trip. These passengers returned on Sunday.
There has also been an increase in the usage of private-aircraft charters.
The increase in travelling options has been a goal of the St. Eustatius Island Government, which has been working hard in striving to see their goals come to fruition.
Their work resulted in the introduction of St. Maarten Airways to Statia on December 13, 2017. Commissioner Charles Woodley stated there are more airlines showing interest in flying to and from Statia. These plans are still being worked out.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72347-boost-for-travels-to-statia-by-land-or-sea
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