SAHA wants justification of
US $5 airport fee increase
~ Passengers have to pay more, says Cleaver ~
AIRPORT--The St. Maarten Airlines and Handlers Association (SAHA) is protesting against the planned collection of an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) of US $5 starting April 1.
The main reason is that the Princes Juliana International Airport operating company PJIAE doesn’t regard the SAHA members as partners or stakeholders at the airport who may be involved in the decision-making process.
“We are being instructed about new developments and that’s it,” SAHA president Michael Cleaver told The Daily Herald. Another issue that has to be taken into consideration, Cleaver said, is that St. Maarten doesn’t become too expensive as a tourist destination.
He said a slide presentation featuring the introduction of the US $5 fee had been given in a meeting PJIAE had held three weeks ago. “But there was no discussion on the subject and it wasn’t a matter of objecting to it or approving it,” Cleaver said.
He was reacting to a statement made by PJIAE President Eugene Holiday, who said he had been surprised by a SAHA letter addressing the issue, as it had been known since 2004 that the fee would be introduced.
“That the introduction of an AIF was agreed on since 2004 and was part of the financial package of the airport may be a fact, but since 2004 the introduction of the tax has not been brought up again. Something of this magnitude should have been communicated to the airlines on a frequent basis,” Cleaver said.
Winair managing director Edwin Hodge, who is also secretary of SAHA, said he couldn’t remember that the introduction of the fee had been communicated in 2004. Cleaver said he had first heard of the introduction of such a fee three weeks ago. He also noted that a change in personnel should have been taken into account and the airport should have reminded its customers of its intentions.
If the $5 AIF is introduced, the total amount passengers will have to pay in airport taxes as of April 1 will be $44.35. So it’s not the airlines, but the tourists and St. Maarteners who will have to pay more to use the airport when they want to travel.
Cleaver said other airports in the region might be more expensive, but overall there were other destinations in the Caribbean that were cheaper. He mentioned the Dominican Republic as an example.
“Airport tax in the Dominican Republic amounts to $80 in total, but a tourist can stay in a five-star hotel, including his meals, for $50. Although I cannot say for sure that people will stop coming to the island due to a $5 airport tax increase, we have to be careful. St. Maarten is a beautiful destination, but expensive.”
In addition, higher taxes make airlines sceptical about coming to St. Maarten, according to Cleaver. “It’s not for nothing that it took four years of negotiations to bring Spirit Airlines to St. Maarten. That’s because St. Maarten is expensive. If the airport tax goes up it will make low cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines more sceptical.”
SAHA wants more transparency from PJIAE; in other words, a justification for the introduction of an extra fee of $5. The airport tax now comprises $30 departure fee and $9.35 for passenger screening. With the proposed $5 AIF the airport tax will total $44.35.
Before introducing the AIF, SAHA wants the airport to justify its implementation. “Why does the airport need the extra tax? Where does the money go? Why does it cost $9.35 to screen each passenger who goes through the airport? No insight is given into the airport operations,” Cleaver said, adding that airlines, as customers of the airport, already paid for use of phones, radio, rent, air conditioning, etc.
Cleaver: “We requested information, but it was denied. Even the Website hasn’t been updated since 2004 (referring to the last annual report on the Website dating from 2004, ed.). SAHA doesn’t feel that there is transparency, but more a one-sided conversation by PJIAE.”
Cleaver compared the situation at PJIA with other airports, stating that customers of the airport were involved as stakeholders and partners in the decision-making.
Regarding SAHA’s letter to PJIAE, Cleaver said there had been no official response as yet and he had no idea what would happen.
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