Six airports of the Dutch Caribbean and Dutch Association of Airports (NVL) discussed for five days how to make inter-island air connections more sustainable, efficient, and affordable.
PHILIPSBURG--After the community event held on November 11, at the Southside General Aviation Hangar in Aruba, Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports (DCCA) can look back on a successful 1st International Sustainable Air Transportation Event – A Flight to the Future.
DCCA is a cooperation between all six Caribbean Airports within the Kingdom of the Netherlands aimed at improving inter-island connectivity and making travel in the region more affordable and accessible for residents of the islands. A joint business plan is in the offing.
Participants in DCCA 1st International Sustainable Air Transportation conference said the keynote speech, speakers, presentations, panel discussions and masterclasses held during the event have proven to be of immense value to all the airports involved. Insights gained will accelerate sustainable air transportation developments, solutions, and technologies.
One of the main goals of DCCA is sustainably improving the inter-island connectivity. “The knowledge and insights gained during the event will further strengthen our efforts as Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports to be innovative front runners on electric flying in the Caribbean region and making inter-island air connections more sustainable, efficient, and affordable for the Dutch Caribbean communities,” said Joost Meijs, CEO of Aruba Airport Authority NV and DCCA Chairman on behalf of DCCA. “This will in turn further enhance the societies of the island nations taking the sustainable development goals of all into consideration.”
A total of 311 participants attended the in-person conference throughout the week, and 888 attended the event virtually. The community also came out in large numbers to view the Pipistrel Velis Electro and learn more about its capabilities and technology.
As one of the great accomplishments, an historical Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed during the event between all four countries (Aruba, St Maarten, Curaçao and the Netherlands) of the Dutch Kingdom, six airports of the Dutch Caribbean and the Dutch Association of Airports (NVL). In this Memorandum of Understanding all signatories have expressed their commitment to improve the inter-island connectivity by making it more affordable, efficient, and sustainable.
As a result of this MOU, the parties will form a steering committee and work group working on a Joint Business Plan describing how this ambition can be achieved and which hurdles need to be eliminated. This business plan will be delivered within seven months from the day of signing of this MOU.
On behalf of DCCA, chairman Meijs sincerely thanks all contributors, participants and all support staff that have made this event possible and a grand success. “A heartfelt thank you is also in place for all the speakers, panellists, moderators, stakeholders and finally all volunteers who participated in getting this event of the ground and successfully completed,” he said.
