New Contour St. Thomas route strengthens St. Maarten’s role as Caribbean aviation gateway

AIRPORT--Contour Airlines received a special welcome at Princess Juliana International Airport on Monday as invited guests gathered to inaugurate the airline’s new nonstop service between St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Steelpan music added a distinctly Caribbean touch to the occasion as Government, airport, tourism and airline representatives marked the opening of another regional air connection.

Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten welcomed the new service as an important addition to St. Maarten’s regional network, saying its significance extends beyond adding another flight to the schedule. The twice-weekly connection makes Contour the only airline currently providing scheduled nonstop service between St. Maarten and St. Thomas, bringing the two islands within less than an hour of each other by air.

“Today may be about one flight, but it represents something much bigger,” Heyliger-Marten said.

She pointed out that Caribbean islands can be geographically close while remaining difficult to reach directly. Improving regional air connectivity, she said, creates opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors and helps connect families, economies and markets across the region.

For St. Maarten residents, the service provides another option for regional travel, while local entrepreneurs gain easier access to another market. Visitors also have an additional opportunity to combine St. Maarten and St. Thomas during one Caribbean vacation.

The new St. Thomas-St. Maarten route operates twice per week on Mondays and Fridays aboard Contour Airlines’ 30-seat regional aircraft.

The weekly schedule is:

• Mondays: St. Thomas to St. Maarten departs at 11:35 a.m. and arrives at 12:30 p.m. The return flight leaves St. Maarten at 1:15 p.m. and arrives in St. Thomas at 2:10 p.m.
• Fridays: St. Thomas to St. Maarten departs at 12:35 p.m. and arrives at 1:35 p.m. The return flight leaves St. Maarten at 2:30 p.m. and arrives in St. Thomas at 3:25 p.m.

The flying time is approximately 55 minutes to one hour, providing a direct alternative to travel that might otherwise require connections through another regional airport.

Heyliger-Marten said the new connection supports St. Maarten’s wider strategy of using Princess Juliana International Airport’s extensive international network to strengthen regional travel.

Princess Juliana International Airport has scheduled nonstop passenger connections to more than 40 destinations, linking St. Maarten directly with the Caribbean, North America and Europe.

Major gateways such as Miami, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, Paris and Amsterdam bring passengers into St. Maarten, while the island’s regional network gives travelers opportunities to continue to other Caribbean destinations.

“St. Maarten is not simply a destination. We are a gateway,” Heyliger-Marten said.

The Minister said this is where she sees significant potential in the new Contour service. A traveler arriving in St. Maarten from Europe, the United States or Canada can continue onward to St. Thomas, while passengers originating in St. Thomas gain another gateway through which they can access St. Maarten’s wider international network.

Contour is already contributing to that strategy through its San Juan service, with the addition of St. Thomas further expanding its regional presence.

Heyliger-Marten stressed that inaugurating a new route is only the beginning and said Government, Princess Juliana International Airport, tourism partners and Contour must now work together to promote and support the service.

“Our responsibility now, as Government, the airport, our tourism partners and Contour, is to promote it, support it and, most importantly, fill those seats,” she said.

The Minister said the objective should be to ensure that the route becomes sustainable and has an opportunity to expand.

“I do not want us to be standing here celebrating this route only today. I want to see it grow,” she said.

Heyliger-Marten commended Contour Airlines for its continued confidence in St. Maarten and its investment in greater connectivity within the Caribbean.

She also thanked Princess Juliana International Airport, partners in the U.S. Virgin Islands and those involved in making the inaugural service possible.

The Minister said regional connectivity is about more than transporting passengers from one airport to another. It connects families, businesses, economies and opportunities while strengthening St. Maarten’s position as a hub between the Caribbean and major international markets.

She expressed hope that the new route will bring the people of St. Maarten and St. Thomas closer, create additional opportunities for businesses and further establish St. Maarten as a gateway connecting the Caribbean to the world and Caribbean islands to each other.

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