Grand Case Airport to be expanded for private jets

Grand Case Airport to be expanded for private jets
Private jetting has become a preferred way to travel the Caribbean, especially as a way to avoid unnecessary waits in long airport lines, delays and other traveling hiccups. Looking to capitalize on this growing market, the St. Martin government is drafting plans to upgrade and expand Grand Case Airport.
The small airport caters only to flights from the French Caribbean territories and has no substantial apron space for the parking of private jets. At present, Air Caribes accounts for the bulk of the flight out of Grand Case with two flights daily from approximately June to November. Six flights a day are scheduled from December to May.
Airport authorities and the government are keen to transform Grand Case into a “real” regional airport with designated space for private jets. They hope to share in some of the traffic coming into Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) on the Dutch side of the island.
PJIA is the hub for travelers heading to and from St. Barths, Anguilla, Saba and Statia. The airports on these islands cannot accommodate the saturated air traffic and are often fed by smaller aircrafts that link them to the Dutch side of St. Martin. Expanding the Grand Case Airport makes sense, according to government officials, because jets will have another alternative to land on the same island.
The Dutch and the French sides are keen to ensure all ventures are complementary because the open border means that both sides can benefit or both sides can loose from new initiatives.
First Vice President Daniel Gibbs said that the final decision on the length of the runway, 1,700 meters or 2,000 meters, still has to be made. In the meantime, authorities continue to seek funding for the project, which is expected to contribute significantly to tourism growth. Stakeholders in the airport project hope the details will be finalized soon, having set their sights on increased regional traffic in 2009.
The upgrade of Grand Case Village, the culinary hub of the island, is tied into the upgrade of the airport. The government plans to repair the wharf that juts into the Anguilla Channel that serves as an offload site for fishing boats.
The sewage system in the area is also to be upgraded. Several studies which outline how to improve and enhance the village have been formulated over the years but have not become reality until now because of funding and administrative constraints.
In 2007, the St. Martin government officially received authority over the budget and is now able to pass laws for the island. For years, the island has been a French commune overseen from Guadeloupe. But after a lengthy struggle, it recently attained the status of a collectivity. This new status has allowed government to venture into development projects and to seek investors as strategic partners.