September at PJIA: 802 flights show strength of St. Maarten’s aviation hub

AIRPORT--September is traditionally considered part of St. Maarten’s slower tourism season, but the scheduled air network at Princess Juliana International Airport tells a broader story about the island’s position in Caribbean aviation.

Current September schedules compiled by FlightConnections show 802 flights arriving at SXM during the month, averaging approximately 189 flights per week and 27 per day. The database lists direct scheduled service from 42 airports in 23 countries, operated by 25 airlines.

The numbers illustrate something that can sometimes be obscured by the focus on St. Maarten simply as a tourism destination. PJIA (in aviation known by its IATA code SXM) also continues to function as a vital regional transfer point connecting major North American and European markets with some of the smaller islands of the northeastern Caribbean.

The official airport count and FlightConnections' 42-airport schedule count are not identical, likely reflecting different ways routes and seasonal services are counted. What both sets of figures demonstrate, however, is the geographical reach of an airport serving a country of roughly 34 square kilometers.

Regional traffic dominates the September schedule

The most striking feature of the September schedule is not long-haul traffic. It is the volume of movement between St. Maarten and neighboring Caribbean destinations.

According to FlightConnections, 387 flights from St. Barth are scheduled to arrive at SXM this month, making that route by far the airport's busiest. Anguilla follows with 50 arrivals, Saba with 48, St. Eustatius and Tortola with 37 each, and Curaçao with 28.

St. Barth and Anguilla alone account for 437 scheduled arrivals, or approximately 54% of all flights arriving at SXM during September.

That concentration reinforces St. Maarten's role as a gateway for neighboring destinations whose visitors frequently move through SXM before completing their journeys by regional aircraft or ferry.

Winair remains central to that network. FlightConnections lists the St. Maarten-based carrier as serving 16 routes into SXM, more than any other airline. Its network includes St. Barth, Saba, St. Eustatius, Tortola, Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, St. Kitts, Curaçao, Bonaire, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad.

International reach remains significant

The September network also maintains St. Maarten's links with major tourism markets.

Current schedules include nonstop connections from Amsterdam and Paris in Europe, several major U.S. gateways, Canadian cities, Panama and a wide range of Caribbean destinations. FlightConnections lists American Airlines, United, JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet, KLM, Air France and Copa among the carriers linking SXM with markets outside the immediate region.

The longest nonstop route remains Amsterdam, approximately 6,930 kilometers from St. Maarten, with a scheduled flight time of just over 12 hours.

The network is particularly notable because September falls well outside St. Maarten's traditional winter high season, when additional frequencies and seasonal routes usually increase.

Airport traffic was already growing

The September schedule follows a strong 2025 for Princess Juliana International Airport.

Official airport figures show passenger traffic increased from 1.6 million in 2024 to 1.8 million in 2025. Aircraft movements increased from 59,858 to 64,610, an eight percent rise.

Regional Caribbean passenger traffic increased 9.5%, while European traffic grew 9%, South America 9%, Canada 8% and North America 7.3%.

The airport has identified regional aviation as one of its strategic growth areas and has repeatedly emphasized SXM's function as the gateway to St. Barth, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius and other surrounding destinations.

Earlier this year, airport officials also said their strategy was increasingly focused on expanding connectivity during off-peak periods. SXM used its participation at Routes Americas 2026 to pursue additional opportunities in South America and strengthen its role as the northeastern Caribbean's aviation gateway.

For St. Maarten, that makes September worth watching for reasons beyond traditional visitor arrival totals. A large part of SXM's value is tied to passengers continuing to other destinations, regional residents moving between islands and airlines using St. Maarten as a connecting point between large international markets and smaller Caribbean communities.

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