Independent Island Councilman Koos Sneek (standing) reading the motion.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Independent councilman Koos Sneek presented a motion to the Island Council with regard to Windward Islands International Airlines Winair to convince the national government to introduce public transportation between St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten. The motion was co-signed by Rechelline Leerdam of Progressive Labour Party (PLP).
Sneek stated that for St. Eustatius is largely dependent on airlift to and from Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) in St. Maarten both local traffic and tourism.
Monopoly
Winair has a monopoly on the route between St. Maarten and Statia. As a result of Winair’s monopoly, the lack of structured competition and the high taxes and fees charged by St. Maarten and PJIA on airline tickets, Sneek stated that Winair’s ticket prices are “exorbitantly high and per mile flown the highest in the world. The high cost of airline tickets is a deterring factor for our island’s economic development, especially when it comes to developing tourism.”
The high cost of airline tickets also contributes to the high cost of living, Sneek said.
Presently there is a temporary connection between St. Eustatius and Bonaire. This route is flown by Winair and subsidised by the national government with seat guarantees.
“Winair is not advertising this route,” Sneek said, “yet opened and advertised their route St. Maarten-Curaçao with very low fares of US $249, which can be seen as competition with the route St. Eustatius-Bonaire. A similar practice had led to the failure of a trial with Dutch Caribbean Express which offered the same route.”
According to Sneek, there is a need for a structural air-connection between Statia and Bonaire and vice versa for several reasons: “To connect the islands of the Caribbean Netherlands without having to fly through one or more other countries. Direct flights to Bonaire save a lot of travel time, also onward to Curaçao, Aruba, etcetera. Direct flights to Bonaire also allow for less expensive connections to the European part of the Netherlands, as well as the rest of Europe.”
This alternative hub, he said, will also be of additional value to the development of tourism in Statia, and treatment by medical specialists at hospital Mariadal in Bonaire would come within reach of Statia patients.
A regular direct flight between Statia and Bonaire would also make notary services in Bonaire available to clients in Statia. “This might be the solution for the ongoing difficulties the island is facing with the dependence on notary services in St. Maarten,” Sneek said.
Also, lower air fares in general and the alternative route through Bonaire would increase the success of the new hotel development, which will be ready for business soon.
Motion
In the motion, Sneek requested that the council vote to have the Executive Council start discussions with the national government to assist with the introduction of structural scheduled and affordable flights between Statia and Bonaire.
The motion also requested that the government commissioners urge Winair to do its utmost under the present seat-guarantee arrangement to advertise the Statia-Bonaire route, offer fares competitive to those on its St. Maarten-Curaçao route, and include the Statia-Bonaire route in international booking systems and its code-sharing agreements with KLM and other airlines.
Finally, the Executive Council was called to carry out the recommendations in the 2018 report of former KLM chief executive officer Peter Hartman and introduce a system of public transportation whereby a subsidy on air travel to and from Statia must make ticket prices more affordable for local travel and tourism.
The Island Council voted 4-1 in favour of the motion. Clyde van Putten (PLP) was the only councilmember who voted against the motion, stating that he believed the motion was a “political manoeuvre.”
Adelka Spanner of the Democratic Party stated that Winair, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in August, has been there for Statia for years and that its safety record is “quite impressive.” She said SXM Airways and EZ Air could also have requested a bailout from the national government to buy larger aircraft to entice customers to fly with them.
‘Cash cows’
Several council members stated that a ferry service to St. Kitts would be more feasible than a ferry to St. Maarten as it is a shorter trip, while travellers could also utilise air connections from St. Kitts to “anywhere in the world.”
PLP Councilman Reuben Merkman stated that “anyone” living in Statia for any amount of time has experienced Winair’s “disrespect and neglect.” He said he has waited on “numerous” occasions when his flight was diverted, but said he has “never” heard of a flight being diverted so it could fly to Statia. He said the routes to Statia and Saba are “cash cows” for Winair.
Leerdam said Winair has “its good and its bad, but we have been experiencing most of its bad.” She gave credit for Winair’s safety record, but also said that Statia has been experiencing Winair’s neglect for many years.
Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij explained that the deal is that Winair will fly twice a day to Statia or Saba when the situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic goes back to normal. He said a monopoly is never good for customers.
