St. Maarten’s Commissioner of Tourism Roy Marlin today applauded American Airlines on their announcement to add a second Miami to St. Maarten flight beginning November 2008. The new American Airlines flight is scheduled to leave Miami International Airport at 5:15 p.m. arriving in St. Maarten at 9:10 p.m. The aircraft will overnight in St. Maarten and depart the next morning at 9:10 a.m., arriving in Miami at 11:30 a.m.
In addition, the Commissioner praised the carrier for their decision to add a second New York to St. Maarten flight for the 2008/2009 tourism season. That flight, originating from JFK International Airport, will commence December 18th and is scheduled to run two times per week. It will increase to five times per week on January 6, 2009 for the remainder of the peak tourism season.
In making the announcement, Commissioner Marlin said, “On behalf of The Island Territory of St. Maarten, I am extremely grateful to American Airlines for their decision to increase capacity to our destination. Their judgment only confirms the fact that in light of all the cutbacks taking place in the airline industry today, St. Maarten has an extremely viable and thriving tourism product. We have always enjoyed our partnership with this flagship carrier and will support them in every way possible to assure the success of these flights. All of us in St. Maarten take pride in knowing that our efforts in welcoming visitors to our island only prove that St. Maarten is the best leisure destination in the region.”
“I am sure the additional passengers on the American Airline flights will soon discover the uniqueness of our destination, offering 37 beaches, over 400 restaurants with Gold Award Winning Chefs, exceptional entertainment and nightlife, as well as a myriad of accommodations to fit any lifestyle, all in a safe, friendly, cosmopolitan environment.”
Commissioner Marlin also stated that the net result of the additional American Airlines service will result in increased travel through Princess Juliana Airport. “This is good for us and good for our travel partners,” he stated.
The Commissioner singled out several key developments, which he believed assisted in the airline in their decision making process. He said, “Over the past few years we have undertaken many new projects to improve our tourism product. The beautification of Front and Back Streets, the development of the Boardwalk area, the construction of roundabouts to alleviate traffic congestion in the downtown area, the addition new accommodations, as well as the construction of a state-of-the art airport, are but a few of the many improvements designed to increase visitor satisfaction.”
Commissioner Marlin also expressed his gratitude to Mr. Peter Dolara, Senior Vice President – Miami, Caribbean and Latin America and Mr. Phil Olivieri, Regional Manager for the Caribbean, of American Airlines “for their foresight and continued support and also to all the local American Airlines staff and the ground handling agent Arrindell Aviation Services NV at Princess Juliana Airport for their continued service and dedication.”
