Air Caraïbes is one of three airlines that started charter flights to St. Maarten on Sunday.
SIMPSON BAY--Management of Princess Juliana International Airport operating company PJIAE forecasts an increase of air traffic this upcoming high season, up to around 85 per cent of the last high season before the pandemic.
On Sunday, the airport celebrated the start of ITA Airways Condor Airlines and Air Caraïbes flight charters.
PJIAE management is focusing on the immediate execution of strategic and operational methods to facilitate an increased number of flights this upcoming high season in connection with the homeporting of cruise ships at Port St. Maarten.
Generally, the high season is from the period of December through March, whereby PJIAE records its greatest seasonal peaks in terms of flight traffic and airport congestion.
While the schedules of commercial and private air traffic continue to increase, management of PJIAE is working diligently to implement measures to accommodate the additions of charter flights to contribute to the continuance of the homeporting at Port St. Maarten.
In addition to the scheduled traffic, ITA Airways, Condor, and Air Caraïbes have confirmed charter flights into St. Maarten from December 5, 2021, through March 2022.
PJIAE anticipates approximately 500,000 passenger movements on more than 3,400 flights, with an exclusion of the commuter airlines and corporate private jets. PJIAE will close 2021 at about 56 per cent travellers, a decrease of 44 per cent compared to 2019, and a high season of around 85 per cent compared to the same period in 2018 to 2019.
The airport’s operations and commercial teams have aligned with stakeholders such as Customs, Immigration, and Transportation to prepare for the influx of traffic to the already demanding commercial flight schedule.
“With the terminal building space constraints and the commencement of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, our team is facing capacity management challenges, and all measures have been implemented to mitigate the expected congestion,” Chief Executive Officer Brian Mingo said.
PJIAE is also erecting a canopy at the arrivals area, Mingo explained. “We are adding more check-in counters, notwithstanding the facilitating of other building adjustments to guarantee a seamless season.”
