St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) is experiencing a “significant recovery,” after breaking passenger arrivals records in the first half of 2024.
The expression “recovery,” refers to the airport’s comeback after being severely hit by Category-5 Hurricane Irma in Sept. 2017, which reduced its operational capacity.
The storm caused extensive damage to most facilities, including the rip-out of perimeter fences, the destruction of the runway lights, and the damage of 80 percent of the roof. The hurricane was so powerful that it even dragged a small boat close to the runway.
Fortunately, the runway itself was not destroyed.
In 2016, the year before the devastation, PJIAE broke all arrival records with 1.85 million tourists passing through customs.
Eight years later, after multiple renovations, Princess Juliana has seen 945,205 passenger movements in the first six months of 2024, breaking the record set in the same period in 2016 before the hurricane’s impact.
“This is a major achievement of our team,” said CEO Brian Mingo of PJIAE. “However, we must remain cautious as the travel industry is highly susceptible to fluctuations. Our goal is to sustain this positive trend and continue to build on this post-COVID trend.”
Despite Mingos’ cautious words, the airport expects to see a jump in passengers during the peak winter season, with up to 9,500 additional daily passengers.
Data suggest that St. Maarten will welcome 1.7 million passengers this year, 155,000 more than forecast at the beginning of 2024.
The good news for those visiting this Dutch paradise in the Caribbean is that the airport will open a new Arrival Hall, which is expected to streamline the entire arrival experience for all travelers starting November.