News & Media

SXM Airport Springs Back into Operations After Gonzalo

SIMPSON BAY, St. Maarten (Wednesday, October 15, 2014) - The Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, sprang back into operations at 8 AM, Tuesday, following the passage of Hurricane Gonzalo on Monday.

SXM Airport had shut down at 12 PM on Monday as a precautionary safety measure consistent with international norms under similar weather conditions.

However, since the airport SXM did not suffer any major damage as a result of the hurricane, SXM personnel worked diligently from the crack of dawn to ensure the airport was re-opened by 8 o’clock on Tuesday morning.

SXM Airport was in close contact with the airlines, airport community, and all the other stakeholders in the period before the island was hit by Gonzalo, during and immediately after the passage of the storm and kept them all well-informed about developments at the airport.

It should be noted that the economic life of St. Maarten is often measured under these circumstances by what happens to and at the airport, therefore, bouncing back as soon as possible after a natural disaster such as Gonzalo sends out the right signal that St. Maarten is open for business.

“I want to thank all the SXM staff, particularly the Security Hurricane Response Team, which stayed back to secure the premises and other stakeholders who worked tirelessly to ensure that the airport was up and running again without any further delay,” said SXM Managing Director Regina LaBega. “This is not only good for business, it is also good for the image of the island.”

“However,” LaBega continued, “as always, the safety of our staff, passengers, aircrafts, the airport community in general and all other stakeholders is paramount in the operations of SXM Airport and will never be compromised.”

LaBega also thanked the general public for their cooperation and understanding and advised passengers to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates on their flights.