The Caribbean: Aviation Dream or Nightmare

andynap

Senior Insider
The Caribbean: Aviation Dream Or Nightmare?

Sep 22, 2015
[SUP]by[/SUP] Adam Twidell

While it is many people’s dream holiday destination, the Caribbean region is viewed as a difficult challenge by many private aviation companies. Some charter brokers have even opted out of arranging flights there altogether. At PrivateFly we have chosen our Caribbean partners carefully to maximize customer service but this has been a challenging task. Private aviation in the Caribbean is certainly a very different market to Europe or the U.S.



So what’s the problem? Well there’s a feeling that aircraft operators in the region can be slow to respond and have a more relaxed culture compared to our high tempo working environment; flights can be prone to problems due to older aircraft or difficult weather; airports & their runways are challenging; it’s highly seasonal; and permits can be complex to arrange.

st_barts_privatefly.jpeg

So with the next peak season approaching, I was looking forward to seeing some of the airports and operators up close for myself, when I recently visited St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport in August. The airport is widely known, of course, as its IATA code SXM - shorthand for the island itself, not just the airport. An indication of how important aviation and the airport are to this island community.
SXM’s hub airport handles incoming international flights from the U.S., Europe and worldwide (which famously skim low over Maho beach on approach), with many passengers connecting to other islands via regional airlines or private charters. The neighboring airports of Anguilla, St Barts, Saba, St Eustatius and Grand Case all depend on SXM as their mothership.
In addition to seeing some of the impressive recent developments at SXM itself, I was able to experience flights into St Barts and Saba. These are both landings that require a high degree of skill and advanced training for pilots, due to short and difficult landings (Saba has the shortest commercial runway in the world). It was fascinating to speak to the chief training pilots at both the local airlines, Winair & St Barth Commuter, about safety and operational training for their crews.

Despite the huge operational challenges of the airports they serve, Winair has an impeccable safety record which is combined with a relaxed front-of-house charm and ease. The Winair pilots are extremely professional in the cockpit but very hands-on in terms of customer facing duties. Their Twin Otter First Officers take on many roles that their larger airline colleagues miss out on; such as greeting the passengers at the aircraft steps and giving safety briefings in the cabin. It reminded me of a private jet service in many ways, or perhaps the heyday glamor of airline travel.
As one of my fellow visitors commented after the flight deck briefing before takeoff; “That was the most clear and concise briefing I’ve ever heard.” And this was a frequent flyer.
I had the same confident feeling from French operator St Barth Commuter, who operate the single engine Grand Caravan on both scheduled and private charter flights. The status of the pilot is very high here, so their pride in turn instills confidence in the passengers. They know what they are doing, but there is certainly no complacency about safety.

Adam%20with%20St%20Barts%20pilot.jpeg
Twidell with a St Barth Commuter pilot.

Aviation is a vital contributor to the local economy, with SXM airport the island’s single biggest employer. So locals are incredibly passionate and positive about it - there are no noise complaints!
On SXM you’re never more than two people away from someone who works in aviation in some capacity. Get in a taxi and the drivers will have in depth knowledge of aircraft routings and talk with pride about the airport and aviation. One told me “there are no bad pilots here.”
Aviation is intertwined with life (and politics) at the deepest level. The Prime Minister of St Maarten Marcel Gumbs, used to be an Air Traffic Controller. The president of St Barts, Bruno Magras is a former pilot and CEO of St Barth Commuter. The communities are busy preparing for the November to April peak season, when there are an incredible 250 landings on the tiny St Barts runway every day. Not all of these are luxury tourists – aviation also plays a more practical role in medical evacuations and cargo transport. St Barts has over 300 medical flights a year, demonstrating just how vital the runway is to the life of the island.
There’s no doubt that the Caribbean is a challenging region. The hurricanes can’t be stopped but the local aviation industry is working hard at overcoming some of the other hurdles. For example, SXM and its neighboring islands are in discussion to operate a local Open Skies agreement, taking away the need for permits for point-to-point flying.
But I for one, think the challenges are worth overcoming. Not only are the landings spectacular - flying into St Barts or Saba is something you’ll never forget - but the people are customer-focused and highly professional. Aviation is truly in the blood on these islands.
 
"Twidell with a St Barth Commuter pilot."

No. Not a pilot. But whatever...

The article is interesting, but is nothing else than a blog to promote a British charter broker whose only interest is to sell flights on the lucrative SBH market.
 
yes and there is more to the story....

Hello all,


I have alerted many of you to a development as a result of the SXM Airport Media Tour: Aviation Geek Tour.

Adam Twidell of PrivateFly in the UK who joined the group in order to write, is also a private jet charter broker with a tremendous network of clients and potential clients who follow his recommendations. Adam and his team have now defined the Aviation Geek Tour program and has put it online for his network.

http://www.privatefly.com/inspirati...eek-trip-to-the-caribbean-by-private-jet.html

Some of you, may not have taken it serious when this was first brought up. Now that Adam has published some prices, I would like to make you aware of the financial magnitude and impact of such packages. Of course those prices will differ whether the package originates in New York or London.

The price person varies from 30,000 US$ to 72,000 US$
The package is calculated for 4 persons flying a Gulfstream 650 which one of largest private jets and it has long range capacity.
821EBB57-EFCC-4761-BF57-BD6FAF604ECC

They are scheduled to stay 7 nights.
So the cost of one package of 4 / 7 totals 120,000 US$ to 288,000 US$
As you can imagine, a major share will go into the charter of the plane. However that charter amount does include a crew of three who will stay in a hotel and spend some money in their time off on the island. The aircraft also needs to be fueled up in St.Maarten. It pays passenger and landing fees and requires private handling of the aircraft.

How much will the passengers leave on the islands? I have seen Adam’s basic calculation. It covers hotel, food, ground transportation and regional flight fares to the islands. There could be more added costs depending on passenger’s demands. And the spending will be higher depending on what they spend outside the package which could vary from shopping to casino visits. Those amounts cannot be foreseen. What is foreseen is a spending of US$ 3,488 per person.

Comparison with a cruise ship passenger.
Cruise ship passenger about 135 per day (just food, shopping and sightseeing; no hotel)
AVGeek Tour 498 US$ per day (plus crew stay (3) + shopping etc), so one may add just another 200 pp per day and the total could be as much as 700 p.d per person.

In principle there are seven days, and the participants are high net worth individuals. So, there will be flexibility to customize the package to their desires. If they want to make an extra trip to Dominica, it can be done, if they want spend more days in St.Barth than just St.Maarten, it can be done. You will see that Adam makes several suggestions on his site for a hotel and restaurants from what he has experienced. Which restaurant or hotel it will actually be, depends on the stakeholders in the region, what they may offer and who wants to participate. Adam and his team can make suggestions to their clients accordingly.

There is another significant difference from other tourists. Because of their high net-worth, these people are able to invest in a region (e.g. private real estate).

You may be a stakeholder; you have an opportunity to raise your voice, to make counter suggestions, ask questions, or to possibly participate in one form or another. You can respond within the group or you can respond directly. Adam’s email is adam@privatefly.com . His team member Viv Diprose viv@privatefly.com likes to be copied in. And actually, I myself would appreciate that also to stay informed and for possible coordination cdrbud@gmail.com.

Kind regards,

Bud
Cdr. Bud Slabbaert
Author - Senior Editor - Columnist
www.linkedin.com/in/cdrbud/
ph: +1 561 459 1165 (US)
mob: +1 209 882 4476 (US)
mob: +1 721 550 4006 (SXM)
mob: +44 793 713 0572 (UK)
cdrbud@gmail.com
 
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