The Government of Montserrat has confirmed the relaunch of the Montserrat-St. Maarten air route, positioning the island to regain a stronger foothold in regional travel and improve access for residents, visitors, and the diaspora. The announcement was made during a press conference at the ZJB Conference Room in Davy Hill, following a recent visit by Premier Reuben T. Meade and a delegation to St. Maarten for a series of meetings with aviation partners and government officials.
Premier Meade said the Office of the Premier organised the marketing mission to strengthen ties and drive demand for the reinstated service operated by Winair. “The Office of the Premier decided to make a marketing trip to St Maarten,” he said, noting that only four officials on the delegation were funded by the Government. “Everyone else paid the entire way, even though they were working, and I feel bad… but one has to be fiscally responsible.”
During the visit, the delegation appeared on St Maarten’s radio station PJD2 to promote the route and discuss Montserrat’s renewed focus on regional access. “The feedback from the PJD2 was excellent in terms of the information which was delivered, and the interest which is peaked in terms of people coming to Montserrat using that Winair route,” Premier Meade said.
Talks with Winair and Expansion Possibilities
The Premier confirmed productive discussions with Winair executives on expanding the service through better fare structures and long-term cooperation. “We looked at a range of possibilities with them,” he said. These include restoring through-fares that would allow passengers to purchase a single ticket to destinations across the region, rather than segmented journeys through Antigua.
“If we’re doing the through fares with Winair, we will then be in a position to have reduced air travel cost across the region… On top of that, you also have the code-sharing which they have with airlines coming out of Europe, the United States and Canada, where persons can also buy through fares from those destinations directly to Montserrat,” he explained.
Strengthening Ties with St Maarten Government
The Premier held a separate meeting with the Prime Minister of St Maarten Luc Mercelina and his delegation. “Those meetings were fantastic in terms of what the possibilities look like for relationships between St Maarten and Montserrat,” he said.
The two governments are now working on a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation in culture, tourism, medical services, sports, and education. Premier Meade said St Maarten schools are expected to organise educational trips for students to visit Montserrat and learn about the Soufrière Hills Volcano. “We can’t just sit in Montserrat and hope things will happen,” he added. “We have to go out and ensure that we can target those markets.”
Tourism Opportunities and Maritime Concepts
The delegation also toured St Maarten’s coastline on a sunset cruise, led by a Montserratian captain. The Premier said it highlighted opportunities for Montserrat to develop similar vessels for cruise excursions, local tours, and entertainment. “We would love, love, love, love, love to have locals investing in that possibility,” he said, adding that external investment would be sought if necessary.
Access Strategy and Policy Coordination
Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Premier, Camille Thomas-Gerald, explained that St Maarten’s reinstatement as an international gateway forms part of the one-year Access Strategy approved earlier this year. “The one-year access strategy was based on three strands,” she said. “Reintroduction of Saint Martin as an international gateway… maintaining the lifeline service between Montserrat and Antigua… and partnering with a private ferry operator.”
She noted the scale of the opportunity: “St Maarten has more than 1,600,000 passengers that traverse through Princess Juliana International Airport annually, in comparison to Antigua which has 865,000.” The strategy aims to tap into that traffic to support visitor growth, business travel, and emergency mobility.
Thomas-Gerald said the implementation includes inter-agency work with the Ministry of Finance and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as approved budget allocations for access and marketing. She confirmed Montserrat is already seeing results: “We were carrying 1,500 more passengers than the previous period,” she said, comparing August 2024 to the prior year.
Operational and Scheduling Details
Access Coordinator Ashley Lindsey said passenger movements, load factors, and gateway comparisons will be used to measure the service’s performance. Current Winair flights operate three days a week. “As the demand increases, then we will start increasing the number of days,” he said. The long-term goal is a three-year strategy that expands both international and regional connections, positioning St Maarten as an alternative to Antigua.
Immigration and Passenger Facilitation
Chief Immigration Officer Charles Thompson said the increased traffic requires stronger coordination with St Maarten authorities. During the visit, Montserrat officials met with the island’s immigration and customs leadership. “It was an opportunity to… establish that link at that senior level,” he said. The relationship improves the ability to guide travellers on entry requirements and strengthens staff training, which he described as continuous.
Thompson praised his team’s commitment, noting they have maintained operations with limited staff. He confirmed recruitment is underway and that immigration will continue mobilising officers to ensure ports are properly manned during peak periods.
Winair is expected to operate daily flights for the carnival season between St. Maarten and Montserrat.
Looking Ahead
When asked about service reliability, Premier Meade was frank. “Life does not come with any guarantees,” he said, but confirmed that the Government is working on conditions to support a long-term relationship with Winair and the air travel experience through both gateways.
Marketing efforts targeting the diaspora in the US, UK, and Canada are already underway through the Montserrat Tourism Authority and joint initiatives with St Maarten.
The Government says flight schedules, fares, and booking details for the renewed route will be issued shortly.
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