AIRPORT--American Eagle is 1discontinuing all services between San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten effective April 5. American Eagle has been indicating for more than a year that stopping of the service was a real possibility if no financial support to maintain the flight was forthcoming from government.
While service to St. Maarten will stop, St. Kitts will be the beneficiary as of April.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Tourism & International Transport this week announced a new and more extensive schedule for American Eagle service to St. Kitts and Nevis, following meetings between Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism and International Transport for St. Kitts and Nevis and President and CEO of American Eagle for Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean Pedro Fabregas.
The April 2011 schedule will feature daily service between San Juan and St. Kitts and add a Friday/Saturday, Saturday/Sunday late evening incoming and early morning outgoing service, the timing of which will facilitate important connections in San Juan, as well as a weekly Saturday day trip service to Puerto Rico from St. Kitts. Nevis will get three non-stop flights per week from San Juan.
Currently, American Eagle flies from St. Maarten to San Juan one time a day, down from five times a day at one point. Minister of Tourism Franklin Meyers, last week, stated he would meet with American Airlines executives this month after learning that the airline might reduce the number of its Eagle flights to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to three times weekly.
According to the Minister, American was willing to re-consider if government financially supports the airline to the tune of US $8,266 a week, which amounts to US $429,832 annually for St. Maarten. Sources inside American on Friday said they got the impression that St. Maarten, since early 2010, did not take the situation seriously enough to address them post haste.
The news comes on the heels of reports that St. Maarten will lose the GOL flight as of March 2011. Government was to make attempts to save that flight as well, but no information is readily available as to the outcome of those efforts.
When American Airlines discontinues its service, it will leave St. Maarten with only InselAir directly servicing San Juan twice a week. JetBlue had also indicated that it might be interested in the San Juan route from St. Maarten, but certain agreements with government would have to be in place before any agreement could be reached.
The bad news for St. Maarten has St. Kitts officials ecstatic. "I am particularly gratified by the outcome of our meetings, which has increased the existing American Eagle service to our twin-island destination and also provides new same-day weekend connections from St. Kitts to Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago with comfortable connections to American Airlines and other important carriers," commented Senator Skerritt.
"At a time when economic factors have forced American Eagle to roll back its presence in our region, I am very grateful for the positive consideration given to my requests by President Pedro Fabregas, who truly understands the importance of travel and tourism to the Eastern Caribbean."
"I have to commend Minister Skerritt on the determination and intensity he brings to the negotiating table," said Fabregas. "When we first sat down, the new April schedule consisted of only four flights to St. Kitts, with service to Nevis not even on the table. We finished with daily flights to St. Kitts, three times weekly non-stop flights to Nevis and additional weekend service to St. Kitts. We are doing all we can to facilitate our Nevis customers, but we have had to be pragmatic and use St. Kitts as the main airport for both islands. We have now what I consider a win-win agreement for both the airline and St. Kitts & Nevis," he concluded.
Minister Meyers could not be reached for comment on Friday. Country Manager of American Airlines Bennet Bell confirmed the discontinuation of the service but could not offer any further comment. St. Maarten is expected to still engage American Airlines to determine if the flight could be saved.
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