Winair wants to operate four additional flights each week between Sint Maarten and Curaçao, but the Curaçao authorities are granting permission for only two weeks. This decision was unexpected for Winair, according to what the director Hans van de Velde informed Luchtvaartnieuws.nl.
Currently, Winair flies to and from Curaçao seven times a week, with connections to Aruba and Bonaire. The plan is to increase the number of flights to 10 per week starting July 1, with additional flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. These extra flights became necessary after JetAir stopped its operations to Aruba, which caused a reduction of 400 seats per week.
Van de Velde is unpleasantly surprised by the decision of the Willemstad authorities. “There are agreements concerning the freedom of transport between the islands. We see no reason not to allow these flights,” he stated.
The director emphasized that Winair adjusted its routes within its network from Sint Maarten to make an ATR aircraft available. “We really planned to fly ten times a week from July 1, but we don’t understand the decision of the Curaçao authorities to give the green light for only two weeks. We haven’t received a clear answer yet.”
Van de Velde pointed out the economic importance of these additional flights for both Curaçao and Sint Maarten. “Considering the importance for the economies of both islands, I hope the government reaches an agreement soon,” Van de Velde stated.
