A Royal Reopening For Princess Juliana International In Sint Marteen

By Jonathan E. Hendry - Lead US Journalist | Simple Flying

Sint Maarten is known for its iconic beaches, including "Airplane Beach," where planespotters have long gathered to watch aircraft like KLM’s iconic Boeing 747 jumbo jets land at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) from a narrow strip of sand.

A Princess for Princess Juliana

The single terminal, single runway airport is over 80 years old and is ready to mark the completion of a major overhaul this month as it completes a multi-year hurricane recovery and infrastructure upgrade project.

According to the Monarchy's official website, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands attended the reopening ceremony of the Princess Juliana International Airport on November 14th. The Princess reopened the airport building by unveiling a plaque before getting a tour of the renovated airport building and talking to those involved in the project.

This visit is significant as it comes almost exactly 80 years after the airport was first opened by Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix's mother for whom whom the airport is named. Princess Beatrix was Queen of the Netherlands for 33 years, from 1980 to 2013.

The gateway remains one of the busiest airports in the region, serving between 1.5 and 2 million passengers annually. Simple Flying sat down exclusively with Brian Mingo, the airport's CEO since 2019, about the $200 million reconstruction project.

What has the airport been up to?

The airport is finally set to complete its work after almost 2.5 years of rebuilding. The airport sustained severe damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017, which saw the airport's roof destroyed, leading to severe flooding and the destruction of much of its equipment. In the immediate aftermath, operations were temporarily shifted to tents and makeshift facilities, significantly hampering the island's ability to handle tourists efficiently.

The first phase of the rebuilding involved the departures area, which reopened at the beginning of this year. The second phase was the check-in area, which now features hybrid bag drop kiosks that passengers and airline staff can use. The final phase is the arrivals area, which received its grand opening this week.

One of the most significant improvements for both arriving and departing passengers is the implementation of new Automatic Border Control Gates, which will streamline and improve the experience of border control, thanks to the use of biometrics. Mingo hopes will become the standard for travelers in the region:

“It makes the queues faster. A process that used to take 10 minutes now could take one minute.

One of the areas Mingo focused on specifically was mobility. Given the island’s popularity among older travelers, one of the most significant changes is that every gate now has an escalator for arrivals, and each level is served by elevators.

The final focus was on sustainability and durability. The rebuilding process took into account the potential for severe hurricanes in the future, and construction was done with durability at the forefront. Going into the new year, Mingo plans to continue focusing on the passenger experience while preparing the airport for the future:

"We made our airport stronger and better to withstand the severe elements of our region. Up next, the airport will first perfect and refine its new facility, to get to that point of a perfect passenger experience.

The airport is set to welcome several new routes over the coming months, including a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Airbus 330 flight to Georgetown that operates a triangle routing via Sint Maarten.