A Winair aircraft at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA). Photo by Dimetri Whitfield.
AIRPORT--Windward Islands Airways International Winair announced on Thursday that it has indefinitely suspended its flights to St. Eustatius as of Saturday, July 18. The discontinuation is due to the St. Eustatius government’s revised admittance policy, which elevates St. Maarten from a low risk country to a medium risk country.
Statia’s government announced on Thursday that business and leisure travel to the island from St. Maarten is no longer allowed due to “developments in St. Maarten.”
St. Maarten was elevated to a medium risk country and, as of 12:00am today, Friday, Statia residents and essential workers arriving on the island from St. Maarten must go into a 14-day mandatory quarantine. Persons returning to Statia after travelling to St. Maarten for medical referral may be exempt from quarantine if they followed a “very strict protocol”.
“Winair is making all efforts to notify affected customers in St. Maarten and St. Eustatius. Winair apologises for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. However, the effects of the COVID-19 situation are uncertain and unpredictable.
“In these difficult times, Winair remains committed to working within the region to re-establish reliable, safe and consistent service. [We – Ed.] thank our customers for their confidence and patronage and look forward to serving you in the future,” said Winair in a press release on Thursday.
