Following last month’s hand-over of the recently-completed arrival hall and baggage reclaim area, the official reopening of the reconstructed terminal at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) on Thursday (see related story) can be considered a major milestone. It also symbolises St. Maarten’s full recovery from the devastating hurricanes of September 2017.
The presence of Princess Beatrix, Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Zsolt Szabó and US Consul John McNamara along with French-side authorities no doubt reflected the significance of this pivotal moment. While this essential project took longer than hoped for several reasons, the result is a state-of-the-art building ready to accommodate an expected increase in flight and passenger numbers, with the latter now approaching 2016 peak levels.
Just as important as the structure are high-tech systems installed to process travellers efficiently and good service offered by personnel of not just operating company PJIAE, but other entities located there including Customs and Immigration. In that sense it is very much the entire airport community that must provide a pleasant, hassle-free experience for all, whether arriving or departing.
Initial reactions have been positive. Inconveniences like going through makeshift temporary facilities with big lines outside, under a tent and using a single luggage belt now belong to the past.
The destination’s main gateway has finally been restored to its former glory; however, in a “new and improved” manner. That is worth congratulations to everyone involved and, by extension, the people of The Friendly Island.
