Princess Juliana International Airport

Artist impression of the 2022 completion © Corgan

Her majesty, Princess Juliana International Airport is once again making the necessary preparations to make its return to regional leadership…and the whole world is watching. There are ongoing plans to ensure that a “state of the art” airport is unveiled in 2022, as the start of the reconstruction of the terminal building project is scheduled to be in full swing during the third quarter of 2020.

Currently, the airport’s “Package 1 – Temporary Operations” have returned into the terminal building since December 15, 2018. The accomplishment was realized over a year after hurricane Irma, Maria and Jose devastated the roof and the terminal building on September 6, 2017. The natural disaster forced the airport community to utilize several makeshift facilities from October 10, 2017 through late 2018.

Today, only 35% of the terminal building is being used to accommodate commercial travelers, however the temporary operations are fully air-conditioned and consists of 10 boarding gates, 32 common use check-in counters, a variety of concession stands and both in and out bound immigration check points. Following the natural disaster, the Managing Board now has the daunting task to reverse the gears of the award-winning airport and return to a reconstruction phased plan approach. Furthermore, the

PRINCESS JULIANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Project Management team with the assistance from the Royal Schiphol Group stands accountable for the project entitled “Package 2 – Reconstruction of the Terminal Building.”

The ultra-modern international airport on the island of St. Maarten, handled an average of 1.8 million people annually with approximately 170 aircraft movements a day before the hurricane, making it one of the busiest in the region, served by 22 scheduled airlines and a dozen charters with direct service to some 33 destinations/cities. The airport is responsible for 60% of the GDP of the island, which is significant for the economic growth. The airport is owned

by a government holding company (PJIAH) and operated by PJIAE N.V, each with its own Supervisory Board of Directors. With a staff complement of approximately 269 employees, the airport community, however, consists of about 1,000 persons working for some 80 businesses that includes airlines and aviation service providers, VIP’s, bus services, cargo operators, Police team, car rental agents, immigration, customs, wheelchair services and airline security, in addition to retail and food and beverage concessions. The island’s central and strategic geographic location in the region, has resulted in its airport becoming a primary hub, connecting St. Maarten/St. Martin and the surrounding islands, particularly Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barth, Tortola, St. Kitts and Nevis to the rest of the world. Its latest campaign post hurricane is “Rebuild. Recover. Reinvent – Forward Together”

PRINCESS JULIANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

After 75 years of evolution, the SXM Airport transformed from a humble World War II air base for the US military, into an ultra-modern, world-class facility which went through “generational changes” such as the construction of new terminals which

also cements its role as the major engine moving the island’s tourism economy forward and the economies of some of the neighboring islands it serves as a hub.

Safety and security are the two main pillars of operations at SXM Airport. It has an impeccable safety record and is constantly upgrading its staff and equipment to ensure that those who use its facilities feel safe and secure. Equipped with a state-of-the-art ATC Tower and Radar facility, Category 9 Fire and Rescue Service, and General Security and Centralized Pre-screening, safety is top priority. The safety record of the airport is among the best anywhere in the region and beyond.

Designed to handle about 2.5 million passengers annually, management are preparing for the increased passenger capacity as they’ve constructed the “Package 1A” project,

Artist impression of the 2022 completion © Corgan

which is a temporary expansion of the make-shift area, offering an additional 250+ seating expanse. The area is fully air-conditioned and has an additional 3 boarding gates.

The airport has an airside Departure Hall with a complete duty-free retail and food & beverage concession layout. Returning concessions like Subway, AMA Duty Free, Dutch Delight, Domino’s Pizza, Market by Villa, Taloula’s Flights, Relay, ESCA, Shipwreck Shop, Gouda Liquor Store, Le Bistro by Bacchus, ILTT Duty Free, Aunt Clara’s Ice Cream and Johney Burgers are all available to the travelers and partially to the public. The new F&B concept includes food trucks on the land side of the property. The airport also features the immigration and emigration booths, offices, the

reinstatement of the existing air-conditioning and sprinkler systems, the installation of the fire alarm and public-address

systems, CCTV surveillance and IT systems.

PRINCESS JULIANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Artist impression of the 2022 completion © Corgan

The Baggage Claim area has one carousel with Baggage Information Display System (BIDS) monitors. Car rental and VIP services are also offered near the arrival area.

SXM Airport offers airside passenger transportation by bus, Aircraft Fueling, Ramp Handling Service (push-back), and General Aviation services for the private and corporate jet sector. In order to accommodate the tremendous growth in this aviation segment, the airport has a Fixed Base Operations (FBO) building complete with office space, private lounges

and dedicated customs and security screening.

SXM Airport is a leading private jet destination in the region, handling over 6,500 private jets annually. The airport was once again successfully short-listed in the 2019 PrivateFly Scenic Airport poll. The future goals include the reconstruction of the Fixed Base Operations (FBO) building and the anticipated Pre-Clearance project, which will enable SXM Airport to increase its market share in this sector.

A separate cargo facility exists near the terminal building, it was designed to handle more than 10,000 tons of cargo per year. SXM Airport is a strategic institution owned by the Government of St. Maarten, dedicated to upholding the principles of good corporate governance as stipulated in the Corporate Governance code and the internal Code of Conduct policy. Its philosophy also embraces the notion of good corporate citizenship, not only as a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility but also more importantly in being actively involved in the social, educational, cultural and sporting development of the island. It makes its community identifying the airport as its own, as well as an integral part of the socioeconomic development of the island.

Artist impression of the 2022 completion © Corgan