TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands – The BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) is expecting air travel to the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island to increase as passengers traveling to the territory through St Maarten will see a significant reduction in the in-transit fees at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).
These fees are being dropped from US$55 to US$30.
A media release from the BVIAA said this fee reduction stems from a partnership between officials from the BVI Airports Authority and the Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten.
The partnership was cemented during a meeting between the two entities earlier this month.
According to the BVIAA’s Managing Director Kurt Menal, the Authority will continue its conversations with St Maarten and will announce when this reduction will take effect for passengers travelling to the BVI via St Maarten.
“The necessary framework to bring this project to fruition is being fine-tuned and the team in St Maarten is currently putting the final touches together to allow passengers to enjoy the benefits of the partnership,” he explained.
In the meantime, the BVIAA also announced that St Maarten’s national carrier WinAir, which currently operates a 19-seat twin otter aircraft in the territory, is in the process of expanding its fleet and service offerings to the VI with the introduction of two 48-seat ATR 42 aircraft.
“I cannot underscore enough how important such partnerships are as St Maarten is one of the major hubs that connects the Caribbean region to Europe and the BVI is perfectly positioned to tap into the European market with this partnership,” said Minister of Communications and Works, Kye Rymer.
The BVIAA’s management said its board is committed to increasing air access to the BVI and connecting the region and the rest of the world to the territory.
