NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 19, 2024)- Airlift at Nevis’ Vance W. Amory International Airport (VAIA) has been boosted with the resumption of Windward Island Airways International (Winair’s) direct service between Nevis and St. Maarten.

Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Premier of Nevis the Honourable Mark Brantley and other Tourism stakeholders officially welcomed Winair’s first flight on Friday, March 15.

Flight WM-327, arrived from St. Maarten with 15 passengers along with two pilots. Premier Brantley, members of the NIA Cabinet, representatives from the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) and others greeted the passengers as they disembarked the 19-seater aircraft, gifting them with Nevis Naturally commemorative bags. They were also treated to a cultural display from a masquerade troupe as they made their way to the Arrival Hall.

According to Premier Brantley, this service is significant to growing the local tourism industry. He explained that it means more than persons in Nevis and St. Maarten being able to fly between the islands for weekend trips.

“I’m absolutely happy to see that connectivity between Nevis and St. Maarten restored. I think this is a fresh start for us. This schedule allows Nevisians to go to St. Maarten for the weekend and those in St. Maarten to come here for the weekend, but beyond that St. Maarten affords us tremendous connectivity to the rest of the world.

“Going out of here on the weekend, the schedule has been made in such a way that will allow people wanting to travel from Nevis with a single stop in St. Maarten to go to Panama via Copa Air, to Toronto via Air TransAt, to Amsterdam via KLM, to Paris via Air France and to go to Miami and New York on Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” he said during the welcome ceremony.

The service also allows seamless connectivity to other Caribbean islands including St. Barths, Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, and Trinidad.

Ms. Helena de Bekker, Marketing and Media Manager of Winair delivered remarks on behalf of CEO Mr. Hans van de Velde. She said the reintroduction of flights between Nevis and St. Maarten signifies a milestone for Winair and underscores the airline’s commitment to provide better air travel options for both business and leisure travel.

“By bridging the gap between St. Maarten and Nevis we are able to foster stronger ties between those remarkable islands, paving the way for advanced connectivity and mutual prosperity,” de Bekker said, adding that the service also opens up a gateway for global travelers to access Nevis.

Premier Brantley underscored the need for persons to utilize the service in order for Winair to remain a staple at the VAIA.

“This flight is only as good as the people who use it. The problem we had in the past is that people were not opting for the flights coming out of Vance Amory and I’m hopeful that that will change.”

Mr. Pheon Jones, NTA Director of Sales and Marketing chaired the ceremony, and NTA CEO Mr. Devon Liburd delivered welcome remarks.

Winair will fly between St. Maarten and Nevis on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.