The start of Southwest Airlines flights marks an important moment for Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) as well as local carrier Winair, which secured related ground handling services (see related story). The newcomer will provide daily service from Orlando and twice-weekly from Baltimore, significantly enhancing connectivity with key markets.
The US Southwest has been a largely untapped source of visitors so far and convenient connections to that part of the country can make a considerable difference. For persons travelling through the Northeast and Florida, respectively Baltimore and Orlando offer more alternatives.
Direct airlift from major cities has always been one of the island’s strong points and this latest development adds to that. Along with the recent arrival of Frontier Airlines, it also shows the destination is still considered attractive to North American carriers.
However, incidents like the one reported in Monday’s newspaper, where a violent robbery attempt took place against a Belgian couple attending SXM Music Festival, must be prevented where possible. Although luckily nobody was badly hurt and the culprits proved unsuccessful in the end, things could easily have ended in tragedy.
The fact that it involved a television celebrity does not make the crime worse, but does mean a lot of adverse publicity. Being a popular holiday spot also entails a huge responsibility regarding visitor experience.
Security and safety are paramount, but cannot be left to police alone. As stated before in this column, upholding the reputation as “Friendly Island” is up to all of us.
