Aviation Specials – May 2018

72 // Extreme Airports

Jewel in the Caribbean

S

int Maarten, known as Saint Martin

to the French, is a territory shared

by the Netherlands and France that

is 230 miles (370km) east of Puerto Rico

and 1,220 miles (1,961km) southeast of

Miami, Florida. The 33.6sq miles (87km²)

island is home to fewer than 80,000

people, of whom more than 34,000 live in

and around the capital Philipsburg. The

outlying areas are a mix of tranquil lagoons,

rocky outcrops, sandy beaches, salt pans

and natural vegetation, while the city has a

colonial style with narrow cobbled streets,

colourful buildings, a pleasant promenade

and seafront, and what was once a vibrant

shopping area. Its cruise terminal can

handle as many as six large ships which

used to bring tourists in droves, but since

Hurricane Irma blasted through the

islands in early September last year the

numbers have been well down.

Most visitors spent time and money

in the shops, bars and restaurants, and

some even made a pilgrimage to watch

the airliners arrive and depart from

Princess Juliana International Airport

(SXM). The island has two airports; Grand

Case (SFG) a racts a few commercial

services, but its southerly neighbour SXM

still receives almost all the a ention.

Life’s a beach

Maho Beach is arguably the most famous

strip of sand in the commercial aviation

world, an a raction that lured cruise

passengers away from Philipsburg and

drew aircraft enthusiasts from across

the globe. Princess Juliana’s Runway 10

is separated from the shoreline by only a

narrow road lined with knee-high barrers,

on which visitors often stood to get a

be er view over the head-high wire fence.

The steep tide-washed bay is usually

golden yellow, but occasionally the sand is

swept away by a storm, leaving only rocks.

Every time that happened sun-worshipers

There is a plethora of ‘extreme’ airports in the Caribbean. Andy Martin explores

three – Princess Juliana on Sint Maarten, Saint Barthélemy’s Gustav III, and

Juancho E Yrausquin serving Saba.

SUN, SEA AND

SKYLINERS

SINT

MAARTEN

SUN, SEA AND SKYLINERS

CARIBBEAN

ABOVE: The

aeroplanes just

add to the appeal

for some visitors.

(Dennis Janssen

Photography)

RIGHT: Delta Air

Lines Boeing 757-

232 N6702 arrives

from Atlanta.

(All photos

BravoNovember

/ Aviation Image

Network except

where stated)

CARIBBEAN

72-79_Caribbean.indd 72 11/05/2018 11:57