Minister Lambriex (second from right) with his Executive Assistant Jerome Gumbs (left) and St. Maarten Tourism Bureau representative Lisa Coffi (right), and in the background travel agent Wahid Essafi, his wife and son (standing).
SIMPSON BAY--A test run of a weekly flight of La Compagnie out of Newark took place on Sunday. A second flight is planned for April 23. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Arthur Lambriex welcomes La Compagnie to St. Maarten.
The new air service is catering to travelers from the United States tristate area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The goal of the La Compagnie program is to create a path to St. Maarten that matches the level of expectations that travelers have on St. Barths, and Anguilla.
The idea is to organise seven-night stays at one of the selected hotels and/or villas. Flights will be on a weekly basis non-stop from Newark to St. Maarten on Sundays starting in the fall of 2023 up to the end of April 2024.
The aircraft to be used is a 76-passenger plane from La Compagnie which is a business class only airline. Minister Lambriex welcomes the prospect, stating last Sunday: “We must showcase ourselves in new markets, creating new opportunities, which is what we see here today with the inaugural flight of La Compagnie. We are excited to have such a wonderful team, aircraft, and concept on our shores.”
The minister said he is extremely proud of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and their continued efforts as well as all others that were involved. “It is time we started to focus on the niche market,” Lambriex said. “I hereby also want to congratulate the organisers on this first step, and we look forward to a fruitful and successful relationship for all.”
