Meeting of Parliament being
organised to discuss Winair
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament is slated to meet in St. Maarten at the end of this month or early next month to discuss a number of issues regarding Windward Islands Airways International Winair.
Members of Parliament Ray Hassell (WIPM Saba), Julian Woodley (DP Statia) and Pedro Atacho (PAR Curaçao) last week sent a letter to Chairman of Parliament with the request to convene a meeting of the Central Committee in St. Maarten.
“We have big concerns,” said Hassell, who is especially worried about the safety aspects of the financially troubled airline. He said that he understood that because of the liquidity situation, pilots often change and members of the staff have also been leaving.
“I want to know if safety is being compromised,” said Hassell, noting that Saba doesn’t exactly have a regular runway and that only skilled pilots can do these landings. “We want the shareholder’s representative and the board to tell us how Winair is doing. If Winair wants to maintain its good name, something has to be done fast,” he said. Saba and St. Eustatius depend very much on Winair as their main air connection with St. Maarten.
Atacho said he was concerned about some operational aspects. He said luggage gets left systematically. He said that luggage of various members of the Dutch First and Second Chamber during their recent visit to St. Eustatius got left behind. He understood that this was a common problem for Saba and St. Eustatius.
Atacho said the meeting in St. Maarten, to which shareholder representative Minister Roland Duncan and the Winair board would be invited, should take place on or around January 31 or February 1. He said it was important for the people of the Windward Islands to hear about the problems at Winair. Atacho said he would also be seeking clarity on the recent increase of the ticket prices.
Atacho, together with three other PAR Members of Parliament, also requested a meeting of the Central Committee on the islands summit that was held in St. Maarten last week. The Senators pointed out the importance of being updated as to constitutional meetings and developments. The presence of Minister Duncan of Constitutional Affairs and State Secretary Hubert Martis would be required.
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