www.pjiae.com

ST. MAARTEN’S AIRPORT: A CATALYST OF GROWTH, AND REGIONAL LEADER IN AVIATION

By Marvin A. Hokstam
Agile Ventures

Sixty years ago St. Maarten was a dormant rural community of less than 2,000 inhabitants. Of tourism only a few had heard; the island had an airfield with a 3,600ft runway that handled a couple of DC 3’s. The present reality is totally different though. St Maarten now is about fast paced duty-free tourism; the Princess Juliana International Airport plays a pivotal role in this development. The rapidly advancing construction of the new terminal building of this important gateway to the North Eastern Caribbean will enhance its position of Regional Leader.

"No modern economy, in view of ever increasing globalization and interdependence, can function well without a safe, secure, efficient and effective aviation industry. PJIA has always fulfilled a strategic function in our economic development. The growth potential of our local economy depends strongly on the capacity of the airport to accommodate and handle the flow of aircraft and passenger movements in a safe, secure and efficient manner. To fulfil this all-important role of a catalyst of growth, the airport must have adequate tools and facilities that meet the required international standards,"
drs. Eugene B. Holiday explained the reason for the expansion.

Doubling the size of the current facility, the new 27,000 airport terminal will be able to handle 2.5 million passengers per year. It will feature a modern look, with glass exterior and jet bridges. 54,000 square meters of land was reclaimed from the Simpson Bay lagoon for its construction. Koop Holding Europe, headquartered in Groningen, Netherlands is the contractor for the project; Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) has been engaged to conduct supervision. The project is expected to be finished by late 2006.

The new terminal building is PJIAE’s response to space constraints. At its opening in 1974 already it had been evident that the current facilities would soon be outdone by the growth in traffic. Tourism had become the most important source of income. Between 1964 and 1970 annual passenger traffic grew at an average of 22%, and from 1970 to 1980 it stabilized at an annual average of approximately 12%. The airport handled 1,646,065 in 2004 - compared to 1,504,995 in 2003. "As such PJIA is without a doubt St. Maarten’s most strategic economic asset," drs. Holiday explained.

The PJIAE President stressed that more than anything else, it was commonsense that carried the decision to expand the airport facilities. "Today’s tourists demand a product that is of high standards. In addition, because of recent world developments, travellers spend more time at airports. An airport in a leading tourism destination like St. Maarten must be much more than a gateway. It must cater to the tourists’ demands," he said.

The new facilities have been designed with the passenger in mind. The four-level facility, will be fully air-conditioned, have a spacious check-in area with 46 check-in positions, room for six passenger security screening points, and 10 immigration and passport control points making for speedier visitor processing, as well as 100% hold baggage screening system with explosives detection capability. "We’re building a modern facility with Caribbean charm," said drs. Holiday. The facility will boast of a spacious, comfortable departure lounge, and will have available all facilities users may need, such as: banking/ATM, postal, Internet, taxi and customer information booths.

On the airside it will have four jet bridges for smooth flow to large aircraft, and busses will transport passengers to and from aircraft not at a jet bridge.

And, whereas currently most airport shops are located pre-security (before the security check-points), that will change once the new building is commissioned. "Our new facility will have an exciting 2,815m² airport mall, featuring a variety of local and international brand name stores," said drs. Holiday. He explained that 30 percent of the retail outlets will be located pre-security, and 70 percent post security. "We’ve designed our mall in such a way that passengers can shop, secure with the knowledge that their flight is on the ground, within clear eyesight of the shops."

The promenade of shops and stores will reflect the St. Maarten theme of sun, sea and sand in their architectural designs and colours. This theme will be featured throughout the interior design of the entire terminal building.

Still, the construction of the terminal building is but an element of PJIAE’s long-term Master Plan; three-phases of development in accordance with forecasted passenger volumes. Phase II of this Master Plan –which includes the new terminal building - is a US$ 87 million project that also featured the rerouting of the Airport Road and the construction of additional aircraft and vehicle parking capacity. It also included the addition of the airport’s integrated Air Traffic Control and Radar Facility –the most advanced in the Caribbean-, which was commissioned in March 2004. PJIAE’s Air Traffic Controllers made local history in December 2004, when they became the first Radar Certified ATC’s, adequately trained to operate the new, fully automated, state-of-the-art facility.

Clearly, for PJIAE, its ambitious credo "En Route to New Horizons" is much more than just a slogan: constant effort is being made to make it a reality. "We may have started as a small military base in 1942, but over the years our responsibility to the communities of the North Eastern Caribbean has increased. PJIAE has accepted the reality of being a catalyst for growth, a Leader in Aviation of this region," drs. Holiday concluded.

PJIAE N.V.
PO Box 2027
St. Maarten N.A.

Tel: +599 545 2060
Fax: +599 545 3578
www.pjiae.com

 

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