St. Maarten Tops World Average Passenger Traffic during First Seven Months of 2012

The friendly island of St. Maarten (http://www.VacationStMaarten.com) continues to prove itself as a preferred destination for travelers with a 7 percent increase in passenger traffic during the first seven months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, exceeding the world average of 6 percent.

The figures, revealed during the Strategy Summit held at the World Routes conference in Abu Dhabi, show that St. Maarten has held its own despite the economic and financial challenges faced by nations around the globe. Compared to 485,936 total enplanements from Jan. 2011 - July 2011, the Princess Juliana International Airport saw an increase to 520,018 total enplanements during the first half of 2012.

Various airlines servicing the island also revealed that they are showing healthy load factors for the country, with some expressing the performance of their St. Maarten routes exceeded company expectations.

JetBlue announced that the performance of its San Juan to St. Maarten route during the slow period was better than the airline had anticipated, while United Airlines noted that its extended seasonal service surpassed expectations. Delta, the third largest airline in the world, reported that its load factor to the island was a very healthy average of 90 percent.

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications, the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and the management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) participated in the St. Maarten delegation at the conference.