PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson wants “a clear answer” on whether Princess Juliana International Airport’s new Chief Executive Officer Brian Mingo has signed over management to Amsterdam-based Schiphol Airport.
The MP also questioned whether Mingo had signed over management without the knowledge and/or support of Chief Operations Officer Michel Hyman and Chief Financial Officer Ravi Daryanani.
“Why would a new, local CEO do this? Was it because he felt he wasn’t up to the task and lacked the qualifications, having no background in aviation? Was he persuaded by this government who simply bows down and accepts any and all conditions thrown at it by the Dutch?” Richardson said.
“How could we, if this is true, simply sign away the most strategic asset of our country? How does this even sit right with anybody in this country and in particular this government and the MPs that support this government?”
He added that more than 40 questions about the airport had been submitted to Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson, but no answers had been provided to MPs to date.
It remains unclear whether the airport actually received the US $5 million from government and whether the $15 million bridge loan is tied to the $100 million financing package, which is still not enough for the reconstruction of the airport, said Richardson.
He said he “understands” that the management deal with the Dutch government/Schiphol is for an unspecified length of time.
