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The airport was started as a military airstrip in 1942. It was converted to a civilian airport in 1943. In 1964 the airport was remodeled and relocated, with a new terminal building and [[control tower]]. The facilities were upgraded in 1985 and 2001.
The airport was started as a military airstrip in 1942. It was converted to a civilian airport in 1943. In 1964 the airport was remodeled and relocated, with a new terminal building and [[control tower]]. The facilities were upgraded in 1985 and 2001.


===Modernization===
⚫
===Modernization===Phase II included the construction of a radar facility and a new [[Control tower|air traffic control tower]], the construction of a new and more modern, {{convert|27000|m2}}, terminal, capable of handling 2.5 million passengers per year, and the construction of a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of {{convert|150|m}}, including a {{convert|60|m}} overrun, on both ends of its runway, to comply
Because of increased passenger traffic and the expected growth of passenger traffic in the near future, Princess Juliana International Airport is being heavily modernized following a three-phased masterplan, commissioned in 1997.<ref>Company website with [http://pjiae.com/masterplan.html PJIAE Masterplan], visited 21 December, 2011</ref>


Phase I was a short-term program in order to upgrade existing facilities and improve the level of service at various points. This included widening, strengthening and renovating the runway, increasing the [[bearing capacity]] of the taxiways, construction of a new [[Airport ramp|apron]] and an upgrade of the (old) terminal. Phase I was completed in 2001.<ref>Masterplan [http://pjiae.com/phase-one.html Phase I: 1997-2001], visited 21 December, 2011</ref>

⚫
Phase II included the construction of a radar facility and a new [[Control tower|air traffic control tower]], the construction of a new and more modern, {{convert|27000|m2}}, terminal, capable of handling 2.5 million passengers per year, and the construction of a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of {{convert|150|m}}, including a {{convert|60|m}} overrun, on both ends of its runway, to comply with [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]] rules. The new air traffic control tower and the radar station commenced operations on March 29, 2004, while the new terminal opened in late October 2006.<ref>PJIAE Masterplan[http://pjiae.com/phase-two.html Phase II], visited 21 December, 2011</ref> The terminal has 4–5 jetways for large aircraft like 747s.

If traffic develops as forecast, Phase III of the masterplan will be executed, consisting of an extension of the new terminal building and the construction of a full parallel taxiway system.<ref>PJIAE Masterplan: [http://pjiae.com/phase-three.html Phase III], visited 21 December, 2011</ref> The new terminal building will also have more jetways and services etc.

However, the [[oil price increases since 2003]] began impacting discretionary air travel worldwide by early 2008,<ref name="air_travel_costs">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2008-04-30-jet-fuel-high-fares_N.htm
|title=Rising costs reshaping air travel across the USA
|publisher=[[USA Today]]
|accessdate=2008-05-10
|last=Adams
|first=Marilyn
⚫
}}
</ref> and the prospect of further price increases<ref name="goldman_sachs_200_oil">{{cite web
|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/energy/goldman-sachs-oil-prices-hit---barrel/
|title=Goldman Sachs: Oil Prices May Hit $150-$200 a Barrel
|publisher=[[Fox Business Network]]
|accessdate=2008-05-08
|date=2008-05-06
|last=Lesova
|last=Lesova
|first=Polya
|first=Polya
}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
⚫
}}
</ref> threatens to reverse the recent expansion of tourist travel by jet which began with the [[1980s oil glut]].<ref name="half_life_for_air_travel">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=154&a=6390
|title=The Peak Oil Crisis: The Half-Life For Air Travel
|publisher=www.inteldaily.com
|accessdate=2008-05-10
|last=Whipple
|first=Tom
}}
}}
</ref>
</ref>

Revision as of 18:59, 20 January 2012

Princess Juliana International Airport
Corsairfly Airbus A330-200 on short final over Maho Beach
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerPrincess Juliana Int'l Airport Holding Company N.V.
LocationSint Maarten (St. Martin)
Hub for
Elevation AMSL14 ft / 4 m
Websitepjiae.com
Map
TNCM is located in Sint Maarten
TNCM
TNCM
Location in Sint Maarten
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 2,300 7,546 Asphalt/Concrete
Source: airnav.com[1]

Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM, ICAO: TNCM) (also known as Saint Maarten International Airport) serves the Dutch part of the island of Sint Maarten. In 2007, the airport handled 1,647,824 passengers and 103,650 aircraft movements.[2] The airport serves as a hub for Windward Islands Airways and is the major gateway for the smaller Leeward Islands, including Anguilla, Saba, St. Barthélemy and St. Eustatius. It is named after Juliana of the Netherlands, who as crown princess landed here in 1944, the year after the airport opened. There is also an airport on the French side of the island, called Aéroport de Grand Case or L'Espérance Airport.

Minister of Justice, Roland Duncan and Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger are undertaking plans to create a hub for Anguilla and St. Barths by placing both Anguillan and French official immigration officers in order to facilitate travel to these areas.

History

The airport was started as a military airstrip in 1942. It was converted to a civilian airport in 1943. In 1964 the airport was remodeled and relocated, with a new terminal building and control tower. The facilities were upgraded in 1985 and 2001.

Modernization

Because of increased passenger traffic and the expected growth of passenger traffic in the near future, Princess Juliana International Airport is being heavily modernized following a three-phased masterplan, commissioned in 1997.[3]

Phase I was a short-term program in order to upgrade existing facilities and improve the level of service at various points. This included widening, strengthening and renovating the runway, increasing the bearing capacity of the taxiways, construction of a new apron and an upgrade of the (old) terminal. Phase I was completed in 2001.[4]

Phase II included the construction of a radar facility and a new air traffic control tower, the construction of a new and more modern, 27,000 square metres (290,000 sq ft), terminal, capable of handling 2.5 million passengers per year, and the construction of a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of 150 metres (490 ft), including a 60 metres (200 ft) overrun, on both ends of its runway, to comply with ICAO rules. The new air traffic control tower and the radar station commenced operations on March 29, 2004, while the new terminal opened in late October 2006.[5] The terminal has 4–5 jetways for large aircraft like 747s.

If traffic develops as forecast, Phase III of the masterplan will be executed, consisting of an extension of the new terminal building and the construction of a full parallel taxiway system.[6] The new terminal building will also have more jetways and services etc.

However, the oil price increases since 2003 began impacting discretionary air travel worldwide by early 2008,[7] and the prospect of further price increases[8] threatens to reverse the recent expansion of tourist travel by jet which began with the 1980s oil glut.[9]

Runway and facilities

Video of Continental 757-200 landing at Juliana International Airport[10]

Because the approach to Runway 10 is over water, pilots can become disoriented regarding their perceived altitude when operating under visual flight rules. Normal instrument checks, coupled with experience and awareness, mitigate any potential problems. In fact, the departure from Runway 10 presents more "difficulties" than the approach, with a turn required to avoid mountains in the departure path.

Arriving aircraft approach the island on the last section of the final approach for Runway 10, following a 3° glide slope flying low over the famous Maho Beach. Pictures of low flying aircraft were published in several news magazines worldwide in early 2000. The thrilling approaches and ease of access for shooting spectacular images, made the airport one of the world's favorite places among planespotters. To meet changing international and local regulations a 150-metre (490 ft) safety extension was required.

Despite the reputed difficulties in approach, there have been no records of major incidents at the airport, though ALM Flight 980 crashed 30 miles (48 km) from St. Croix on 2 May 1970, after several unsuccessful landing attempts at PJIA.

In late 2008, Runway 09/27 was renumbered as 10/28.[1]

Apron

The main apron measures 72,500 square metres (780,000 sq ft) with another 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft) on Eastern apron. For freight handling a dedicated apron of 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft) is available.[11]

Terminal

The new four-story terminal building offers 27,000 square metres (290,000 sq ft) of floor space and is fully air-conditioned. Available facilities include 42 check-in desks, eight transit desks and eleven boarding gates. There are ten immigration booths for arriving passengers and five exit-control booths for departing passengers.[11] The building also features 40 shops and food & beverage units—some unique to St. Maarten—promoted under the retail theme 'So Much More'.

Private aviation

To accommodate the growing international and local traffic of private aircraft, PJIA has a Fixed Base Operator building, offering office space and private lounges with dedicated customs.[11]

Tower

Since official opening of the new control tower, PJIA air traffic controllers have two radar systems at their disposal with ranges of 50 nautical miles (93 km) and 250 nautical miles (460 km). PJIA controllers manage 4,000 square NM of airspace around the airport. Besides providing approach, tower and ground control at PJIA, these controllers also provide approach control for Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (Anguilla), L'Espérance Airport (French Saint Martin), Gustaf III Airport (St. Barths), F.D. Roosevelt Airport (St. Eustatius) and Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (Saba).

PJIA is equipped with VOR/DME and NDB. The airport's official operating hours are 07:00–21:00.[11]

Joint border control with France

In 1994, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France signed the Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controls, which allows for joint Franco-Dutch border controls on so-called "risk flights". After some delay, the treaty was ratified in November 2006 in the Netherlands, and subsequently entered into force on 1 August 2007. Though the treaty is now in force, its provisions are not yet implemented as the working group specified in the treaty is not yet installed.

Princess Juliana International Airport is the airport featured in the free demo version of Microsoft Flight Simulator X. In the full version of the program, it is the destination on the mission called "Caribbean Landing".

World's Top 10 Airport Approaches

In 2010, the airport finished second[12] and in 2011 finished tenth[13] in PrivateFly.com's survey to find the world's best airport approaches.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson
Air Caraïbes Paris-Orly, Port-au-Prince
Seasonal: Pointe-à-Pitre
Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Air Transat Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson
American Airlines Miami, New York-JFK
BVI Airways Dominica, Tortola
CanJet Toronto-Pearson
Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau
Caribbean Airlines Kingston-Norman Manley, Port of Spain
Copa Airlines Panama City
Corsairfly Paris-Orly, Pointe-à-Pitre
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Dutch Antilles Express Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Santo Domingo-Las Américas
Insel Air Curaçao, Port-au-Prince, Miami, San Juan, Santo Domingo-Las Américas
JetBlue Airways Boston, New York-JFK, San Juan
KLM Amsterdam, Curaçao
LIAT Antigua, Saint Croix, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia-Vigie, Tortola
St Barth Commuter Saint Barthélemy
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale
Take Air Dominica
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul
Sunwing Airlines Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson
United Airlines Newark, Washington-Dulles
Seasonal: Chicago-O'Hare
US Airways Charlotte, Philadelphia
WestJet Toronto-Pearson
Winair Nevis, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius
Winair operated by Anguilla Air Services Anguilla

Charter

AirlinesDestinations
Air Pullmantur Seasonal: Madrid
Alitalia Milan-Malpensa
Anguilla Air Services Anguilla
FlyMontserrat Montserrat
Gol Transportes Aéreos Manaus, São Paulo-Guarulhos
St Barth Commuter Saint Barthélemy
Surinam Airways Seasonal: Paramaribo-Zanderij
Trans Anguilla Airways Anguilla
Aeroluftjoz UK East Midlands Nottingham

Cargo airlines

AirlinesDestinations
Amerijet InternationalMiami, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo-Las Américas
FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo San Juan
Four Star Air CargoSan Juan
LIAT QuikpakSanto Domingo-Las Américas
Roblex AviationSan Juan
Skyway EnterprisesSan Juan
  • Photos
  • A Piper PA-28 Cherokee light aircraft on final approach for, at the time, Runway 09.
    A Piper PA-28 Cherokee light aircraft on final approach for, at the time, Runway 09.
  • The new Terminal building from the inside.
    The new Terminal building from the inside.
  • Sign warning people that standing too close to the airport fence on Maho Beach can be dangerous.
    Sign warning people that standing too close to the airport fence on Maho Beach can be dangerous.
  • Air France Airbus A340
    Air France Airbus A340
  • Flight Schedule
    Flight Schedule

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Airnav.com on:Princess Juliana International Airport, visited 20 December, 2011
  2. ^ Company website: Traffic statistics, visited 21 December, 2011
  3. ^ Company website with PJIAE Masterplan, visited 21 December, 2011
  4. ^ Masterplan Phase I: 1997-2001, visited 21 December, 2011
  5. ^ PJIAE MasterplanPhase II, visited 21 December, 2011
  6. ^ PJIAE Masterplan: Phase III, visited 21 December, 2011
  7. ^ Adams, Marilyn. "Rising costs reshaping air travel across the USA". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
  8. ^ Lesova, Polya (2008-05-06). "Goldman Sachs: Oil Prices May Hit $150-$200 a Barrel". Fox Business Network. Retrieved 2008-05-08. [dead link]
  9. ^ Whipple, Tom. "The Peak Oil Crisis: The Half-Life For Air Travel". www.inteldaily.com. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
  10. ^ Video missing - only still available
  11. ^ a b c d PJIA website: PJIAE Company Profile, 2007, visited 20 December, 2011
  12. ^ PrivateFly.com pressrelease: Top 10 Airport approaches, visited 21 December, 2011
  13. ^ PrivateFly.com pressrelease: Top 10 Airport touchdowns, visited 21 December, 2011
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