Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport) is the primary airport for flights to Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, an island situated among the Caribbean Islands. This airport is named after Queen Juliana of the Netherlands who officially opened this airfield as a civilian airport in 1944 prior to her assuming the role of Queen.
The Princess Juliana International Airport is located on the southern territory of the island known as the Dutch side of St. Maarten. The airport is a renowned hub in St. Maarten for airway lines from the lesser northern Antilles (Saba, Anguilla, St. Eustatius, and St. Barts) referred to as the “Leeward Islands”. Princess Juliana Airport also serves as a hub for Guadeloupe and southern islands referred to as the “Windward Islands”.
Where is Princess Juliana International Airport?
Princess Juliana International Airport is situated in Simpson Bay on the Dutch Side of the island of Sint Maarten. The airport is located about 15 km (9 miles) northwest of Philipsburg, which is the Dutch capital of Sint Maarten. The coordinates for Princess Juliana Airport are 18° 2′ 27″ N, 63° 6′ 34″ W.
What is the airport code for Princess Juliana International Airport?
The airport code for Princess Juliana International Airport located in Sint Maarten is SXM.
What is the history of Princess Juliana International Airport?
The history of Princess Juliana International Airport is quite a fascinating story. The airport once existed exclusively as a military landing strip and how it has transitioned over the years to a commercial hub through a series of changes made by the Dutch government.
Princess Juliana International Airport was previously a US military airbase during World War II in 1942. However, the nature of the airport changed on December 3rd, 1943, when the first commercial flight made its landing on the runway. Princess Juliana International Airport was given its name in the year 1944, in honor of the heir-presumptive Queen Juliana of the Netherlands who landed at the airport on March 4, 1944, and declared it a civilian airport.
Princess Juliana International Airport has undergone transitional changes over the years. These changes began in 1964 when the airport was renovated and given a new control tower and terminal. That same year on March 20, 1964, Princess Juliana Airport was officially reopened by former Dutch Minister, Barend Biesheuvel on its current location in Simpson Bay.
Princess Juliana International Airport has since been developed under a three-phase development plan that was initiated in 1997. This three-phase development served to improve the quality of service at different points and to upgrade existing facilities to the high quality that makes it an efficient hub for many airways today.
When was Princess Juliana Airport built?
Princess Juliana Airport was built in the 1940s and was initially a designated military airstrip for the US in 1942. The airport was then converted to a civilian airport the following year in 1943 and structural improvements thereafter were made by the Dutch government of the Netherlands.
Why is Princess Juliana International Airport considered dangerous?
Princess Juliana International Airport is considered dangerous for two reasons. Firstly, the runway space is so limited that pilots need to turn almost immediately to avoid the mountains in the straight path. Secondly, due to the airport being only as little as 850 m (0.5 miles) from Maho beach, people standing too close to the airport boundary fence are at risk of injury from the jet blast of the airplane taking off. Sadly, in 2017, a jet blast from an aircraft on the runway caused the death of a tourist on Maho Beach.
Princess Juliana International Airport is located in extremely close proximity to Maho Beach. In addition, the runway is short and is situated very close to the water. The combination of these factors makes it disorienting for pilots during landing as their perception of altitude can be compromised. The result of an error in altitude perception when flying so low could be the aircraft crashing into the water or even worse onto the populated Maho Beach. The efficiency of the pilot comes down to experience, awareness, and regular instrument checks.
The picture below shows an airplane flying very close over Maho Beach which is located near Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten.
How big is Princess Juliana International Airport?
Princess Juliana International Airport covers a surface area of 642,415 m2 (6,914,898 sq ft) with its terminal covering a surface area of 30,500 m2 (328,299 sq ft). Princess Juliana Airport has the capacity for approximately 170 aircraft movements per day. The features of Princess Juliana Airport are listed below.
- 5 Emigration booths
- 20 Immigration booths
- 13 Boarding gates
- 10 Transfer desks
- 46 Check-in counters
- VIP lounge
- 12 food and drink outlets
- 40 shops and stalls
What are the facilities of Princess Juliana International Airport?
The facilities at Princess Juliana International Airport are listed below.
- Runway
- Terminal
- Apron
- General Aviation
- Tower
- Navigation
1. Runway
Princess Juliana Airport has a single runway numbered 10/28, measuring 2300 m x 45 m (7500 ft x 148 ft). This runway is one of the world’s favorite locations for plane spotters due to its close proximity to Maho beach. As an aircraft arrives and approaches the runway on the last section of the final approach, the plane follows a 3° glide slope flying low over Maho Beach. Pilots efficiently approach the runway by relying on a GPS.
How long is the Runway at Princess Juliana Airport?
The runway at Princess Juliana Airport is 2300m (7500 ft) long.
2. Terminal
The terminal at Princess Juliana International Airport has two air-conditioned levels with a capacity of 2.5 million passengers annually. On the ground level, the airport accommodates arrivals whereas the first level is dedicated to departures.
The terminal at Princess Juliana International Airport has a new security system activated which allows passengers to scan their bar-coded boarding pass to enter the departure hall. In addition, a modern “Departure Lounge” has been installed allowing passengers a comfortable place to wait for boarding time.
Upon arrival at the terminal in Princess Juliana Airport, passengers can also enjoy a smooth immigration process with automated self-service control kiosks. Some of the other facilities available at the Princess Juliana Airport Terminal are listed below.
- 46 check-in desks
- 5 emigration booths
- 20 immigration booths
- 10 transit desks
- 13 boarding gates
- 21 duty-free shops
- 40 shops in total
- 12 food and drink outlets
- A VIP lounge
3. Apron
The apron or “ramp” at Princess Juliana International Airport is the area where aircraft are boarded, parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, or maintained.
The main apron at Princess Juliana Airport is measured at 72,500 m2 (780,000 sq ft) with another 5000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) on the eastern apron. In addition, there is an apron dedicated to freight handling which measures 7000 m2 (75,000 sq ft).
4. General Aviation
The general aviation at Princess Juliana International Airport has made some advancements over the years. The aviation executives have conducted operational flow meetings to strategize on how to meet the high demand for accommodation of the growing local and international traffic of private aircrafts.
The complexity and workload have continued to increase at Princess Juliana Airport, especially during peak seasons (December to January) with airport handlers receiving an influx of daily flight bookings. The aviation team has had to plan for the possibility of at least 100 private aircrafts parking long term.
Some of the initiatives taken at Princess Juliana Airport to satisfy this growing demand have included private lounges with dedicated customs, offering office space, and a fixed-base operator building. Proactive planning is continually underway by a team that aim to maintain a high quality of service standards for passengers.
5. Tower
The latest control tower at Princess Juliana International Airport has two radar systems at the disposal of the air traffic controls. These radar systems range between 50 nautical miles (93 km) and 250 nautical miles (460 km).
Princess Juliana Airport controllers at the tower manage 4000 square nautical miles of airspace known as the Juliana TCA around the airport, estimated between 25 nautical miles (46 km) and 42 nautical miles (78 km) of the St. Maarten VOR-DME.
In addition to providing approach control at Princess Juliana Airport, the tower and ground controllers also provide approach control for French St. Martin (L’Espérance Airport), St. Eustatius (F.D. Roosevelt Airport), Anguilla (Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport), Saba (Yrausquin Airport) and St. Barths (Gustaf III Airport).
Princess Juliana International Airport is equipped with distance measuring equipment (DME), a very high-frequency omnidirectional range (VOR), and a non-directional radio beacon (NDB).
The VOR navigation system at Princess Juliana Airport allows the receiver to measure its bearings to and from the beacon, while the DME provides the slant distance between the receiver and the station. These two radio navigation systems work together to give measurements that allow the receiver to compute a position fix.
The NDB radio transmitter at Princess Juliana airport provides additional navigational aid with its ability to send signals that follow the curvature of the earth and these signals can be received at much greater distances at lower altitudes which gives it an advantage over VOR.
With these navigational technologies set up at Princess Juliana Airport, planes landing at lower altitude are well equipped for an efficient landing.
How can I reach Princess Juliana International Airport?
The different ways to reach Princess Juliana International Airport depend on the departure location. There are a few local transportation options available in Sint Maarten. Some of the transportation options to Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten are listed below.
- Car: If you have a car in St. Maarten, you can drive to Princess Juliana International a