Winair important for the island,
shares transfer to be discussed
PHILIPSBURG--Transfer of Windward Islands International Airlines Winair will be one of the main topics to be discussed during a meeting between the Executive Council of St. Maarten and the Central Government. The airline is considered important for the island’s economy and tourist activities.
Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage has sent a letter to the Executive Council inviting the island territory for the talks. No exact date has been scheduled as yet.
Constitutional Affairs Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams said on Wednesday that the PM’s commitment went back to the meeting in St. Maarten with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
The invitation came after St. Maarten tabled the matter of the payments to children’s homes, she said. At the meeting, St. Maarten will want to deal with several “outstanding issues.” “We have asked several departments to give an overview of several outstanding issues between the island territory and the Central Government,” Wescot-Williams stated.
Tourism Commissioner Roy Marlin added that the transfer of the Winair shares would be one of the main topics of discussion. St. Maarten sent a letter to shareholder representative Minister Roland Duncan requesting information on the status of the legal proceedings between Bonaire Participatie Maatschappij (BMP) and the Central Government, and what consequences it would have if the islands took over the shares, Marlin said. “Unfortunately, we have not received a response from the Minister as yet.”
Winair was brought up again during the political consultation in January, when St. Maarten requested information on the legal proceedings between BPM and the Council of Ministers to find out the exact status.
Marlin reiterated that Winair was important to St. Maarten from a tourism aspect. “The company constitutes about 12 per cent of all traffic moving through Princess Juliana International Airport. Winair also employs 120 to 150 people,” he said.
The survival of the company, he said, has a great economic impact for the island. “Winair also serves as a regional hub for a lot of the airlines coming to St. Maarten for people going to Anguilla, St. Barths, Nevis, St. Kitts, Saba and St. Eustatius.”
Looking at it from a tourism perspective, if St. Maarten is able to (partially) hold the shares of Winair, it can do some strategic planning such as possibilities of coach sharing with regional airlines to continue to service regional destinations, Marlin stated.
