Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
AIRPORT--Princess Juliana International Airport SXM celebrated the official opening of its remodelled departure lounge on Wednesday night amongst top airport officials, government dignitaries of St. Maarten/St. Martin and a host of distinguished guests.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Claret Connor cut the ribbon alongside top airport officials Regina LaBega and Michel Hodge.
The who's who of the local tourism and business world heard addresses by Prime Minister Gumbs, Tourism Minister Connor, airport Managing Director Regina LaBega, Supervisory Board of Directors Chairman Gary Matser and Special Projects Coordinator Robert Brown, and a pre-recorded address by Dr. John Karsarda, Director of the Center of Air Commerce at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and the "godfather" of the "aerotropolis," or airport city concept.
Karsarda spoke of the concept and called the remodelling a key step in the airport's competitive positioning and part of its larger improvement strategy, in line with comments by LaBega and Brown in particular.
Brown asked the audience to try to remember the airport 10 years ago, and stressed the importance of continuously reinventing and upgrading the airport product. He recalled that it all had started when LaBega took office, had a "quick scan" done and took a fresh look at the airport's revenue strategies, both aeronautical and non-aeronautical.
LaBega kicked off her speech with e-mail correspondence from top Dominican hotelier Gregor Nassief that described the airport as the best in the region. She said Dominica should regard St. Maarten's airport as its national airport. She gave special recognition to the members of the Supervisory Board of Directors and to former board member Clarence Derby.
Minister Connor reflected on progress and said the airport's annual count of 1.6 million passengers reflected 1.6 million opportunities to promote the island.
Prime Minister Gumbs added that the surrounding islands needed to be recognised for the role they play in making St. Maarten "the hub that it is proud to be."
He also suggested that the airport consider pre-clearing passengers to the United States and said Government needed to look at how best to benefit financially from government-owned companies across the board, so that it does not "end up in the trenches."
The evening was hosted by Jacques "Billy D" Hamlet and Z'haria Richardson, opened with the St. Maarten Song by Angie Pantophlet and was livened up by performances by Charlotte Brookson Academy and National Institute of Arts, and "living statues," all of whom interacted with
