JEK
Senior Insider
THE IMPACT OF COVID AT THE AIRPORT
by Albane Harmange 09/09/2020
Air transport, at a standstill during confinement, slowly resumed its flight this summer mainly thanks to the link between Saint-Barthélemy and San Juan. From minus 98% in April, the decrease in passenger traffic in Saint-Barth fell to 37% in July and August.
Only 142 passengers arriving at the airport: April 2020 is one of the calmest months in recent St. Barts history. This is 98% less than a normal April. This figure alone illustrates the impact of confinement on the airline sector and the number of visitors to the island. May was not much better.
The braking was less brutal in July and August. Traffic to and from San Juan Airport, usually in the minority, has taken off. While the Princess Juliana hub, in slow motion and without the Americans in July, has shown how essential it is for tourist activity on our island.
June: a timid reopening
A total of 3,526 travelers (arrivals and departures) passed through De Haenen airport in June. This corresponds to a decrease of 74% compared to the same period in 2019. This phenomenon can be explained by the very low number of arrivals and departures to Sint-Maarten airport, still closed to international flights. Traffic to and from Juliana stands at 105 passengers over thirty days, up from 7,526 last year. International tourist attendance remained very low on the island with some rotations to San Juan and Saint-Thomas. At the national level, trade with Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin Grand Case also shows a decrease compared to the previous year, but in smaller proportions (32.69%). These figures echo the comments of tourism players who claim to have received a more regional clientele at the start of the summer (Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique).
July: Puerto Rico
cardboard
78%: this percentage corresponds to the increase in the number of arrivals from San Juan in July 2020 compared to July 2019. The Tradewind company records 1,013 arrivals against 569 over the same period a year earlier. This increase in traffic with Puerto Rico is explained by the influx of American tourists who cannot pass through Juliana. The nearby airport reopened to international flights on July 1, except for the United States, which was able to transit there from August 1 only. This exception also allows us to understand the still low figures from and to Sint-Marteen with passenger traffic of 1,794 people against 8,483 in July 2019. Puerto Rico is not the only territory to have recorded an increase in activity towards Saint- Barth. Traffic from and to Pointe-à-Pitre rose to 4,423 travelers compared to 3,241 in July 2019. This recovery in summer tourism was therefore manifested by the presence of Americans via San Juan and Europeans via Guadeloupe and Sint-Marteen. The total number of passengers in St. Barts for July stands at 9,184 compared to 14,687 in 2019, a 37% decrease in traffic.
August: more
private flights
331 passengers came to Saint-Barth on a private flight in August 2020. The previous year for the same period, 207 travelers arrived by private charter. This phenomenon can be interpreted by the decline in air supply, but also by a fear of traveling on commercial flights during this pandemic period. The very wealthy American clientele, who usually frequent St. Barts for the holiday season, took refuge on the island during the summer.
The July boom in trade links with San Juan was confirmed in August.
In total De Haenen Airport welcomed 7,961 travelers last month, up from 12,709 last year. This is the same drop as in July.
