From
a small military base turned civilian airport the Princess
Juliana International Airport has seen St. Maarten grow from
a small island with an agriculturally based economy into one
of the major tourist destinations in the Caribbean.
The site where the airport is presently located was
opened in 1964. Since then the airport has seen considerable
growth. In 2003 the Airport catered to some 1.5 million
passengers and handled on average 185 scheduled and charter
aircraft movements a day from the Caribbean, Europe and
North, Central and South America.
With a network of approximately 60 companies,
organizations and public agencies, jointly constituting the
Princess Juliana International Airport product, the airport
provides employment to some 800 people of which 210 are
working directly for PJIAE.
However the growth in business activities has outgrown
the design capacities of the airport facilities as
constructed in 1964 and upgraded beginning 1980´s.
In order for PJIAE to become a safer, larger, more
modern, and more efficient airport for St. Maarten and the
region it serves, a master plan was commissioned in 1997 to
identify the possibilities for immediate and future
development of the airport. The master plan covers three
phases of development in accordance with forecasted
passenger volumes. With both commercial financing and
assistance from the financial community the airport intends
to meet the goals as set out in the master plan.
Phase I: 1997-2001
Phase II 2003-2007
Phase III: 2012-...
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