Archive for November, 2006
Opening Address
On The Occasion Of The Inauguration Of The New
Of The
By
drs.
President of PJIAE N.V.
Your Majesty, Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Evening,
I am very pleased and honored, on behalf of the entire airport community, to extend a very warm welcome to our Queen, Your Majesty Queen Beatrix on this special occasion. We sincerely appreciate Your Majesty’s presence and I therefore hereby express my thanks to you for according us the magnificent honor to share this landmark achievement with us and for accepting to officiate the inauguration of the New Terminal Building as your Mother, Her Royal Highness Princess Juliana did for the original airport facilities in 1944. This shows that our airport has special ties with our Royal Family, ties we look forward to continuing.
This official opening ceremony is an important milestone in the history of St. Maarten because we are gathered to officially open the best airport in the Region and beyond. We of St. Maarten’s Airport highly appreciate the presence of so many distinguished guests who came from our neighboring Caribbean islands, from the Americas and from Europe to share in this moment with us.
This evening’s inauguration of the New Terminal Building gives the airport and the community of St. Maarten/St. Martin a unique opportunity to celebrate our strength and to reflect on and pay tribute to the values and spirit of the people who have helped build these facilities, and that we will. Above all it is an occasion for dedication to service for achievement, one that testifies to the potential of our people.
This New Terminal Building along with its supporting facilities, such as the Air Traffic Control tower to the North West of us, represents an investment of some 100 million US dollars or 18% of our islands GDP. It accommodates some 1.7 million passengers a year and provides employment for some 1000 persons making the airport one of St. Maarten most strategic assets.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we stand in a festive mood before a truly imposing St. Maarten structure and St. Maarten institution, one that did not come about without challenge.
o The restructuring of the corporate and organizational structure along with the development and implementation of the required business and commercial approach, which were necessary to lay the foundation, which we stand on tonight, like all change, did not come without resistance;
o The translation of our wishes as operators and those of our airlines and other users into design and construction drawings by the Netherlands Airport Consultants, NACO, involved complicated and meticulous work;
o The difficulties of engineering a technically viable project of this magnitude were compounded by rising steel prices, thereby making the international tendering process for the engagement of a qualified contractor, as was found in Koop Holding Europe, even more challenging;
o The complications of planning and structuring a financially feasible project to raise debt financing, as a first time issuer on the international capital market, against the backdrop of the threat of terrorism and of an aviation industry in financial crisis, need no explanation, except that they were overcome, thanks to the confidence of the RBTT Merchant bank in the airport and in St. Maarten;
o And the critical task of selecting a strong and balance project team, comprised of individuals with diverse and sometimes conflicting personalities, to steer, manage and oversee the execution and delivery of the project according to specifications and within budget.
are but some of the challenges we have had to face, and which deserve more in dept treatment than can be given on an occasion like this.
Tonight however I am pleased and proud to stand before you and state that thanks to the commitment to our vision “En Route to New Horizons” and cognizant of the airports role as the engine of growth for the island; the personnel, external assistance, management and supervisory boards of directors - with the support of our Shareholders and the Government of St. Maarten -forged forward and overcame these challenges.
And as we celebrate, reflect and pay tribute it is equally important to project and envision the meaning of today’s celebration for our island’s future. With our terminal building designed to handle some 2.5 million passengers a year, today we can look to the future knowing that we have an international airport, fully equipped to cater to the service level demands of travelers and to accommodate the projected growth in regional tourism over the next 20 years, in a safe and secure manner. Yes we have an airport second to none with a beautiful modern exterior and uniquely outfitted interior, including jet bridges, an exciting airport shopping mall, expanded aprons, Common Use Terminal Equipment and 100% hold baggage screening, all within a colorful Caribbean theme of Sun, Sand and Sea.
Today’s inauguration of the New Terminal Building of St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport therefore, represents a decisive step to solidify St. Maarten’s position among today’s leaders in tourism and travel. This after almost a decade of thorough planning, dedicated execution, hard work and complete commitment to our vision and mission.
In closing I must publicly thank the great team of airport staff, airport officials, consultants, contractors, financiers and government officials who were instrumental to the realization of this St. Maarten landmark. I therefore ask all to stay on to witness and help pay tribute to these persons later this evening.
It is with these words of thanks and with the full significance of what this New Terminal Building means for our community, that I take this opportunity to invite all to participate in the further building of this St. Maarten Institution; The Princess Juliana International Airport; Your Regional Leader and the premier Gateway to the world for our dual nation island and the North Eastern Caribbean.
I thank you