Lifestyle
Maho Beach: jet-blast warnings and drone rules
Maho Beach sits at the end of the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport. Fence signs warn about jet blast, and the government bans drones and throwing objects at aircraft, with heavy penalties.
By SXM Daily ·
Last checked: 14 October 2026
Next check: 14 April 2027
Maho Beach, on the Dutch side, lies at the end of the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport. Only a road and the airport fence stand between the sand and the runway, which is why the rules here are about aircraft as much as the beach.
Photo: Terrazzo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Where the beach is
CNN and USA Today both place Maho Beach on the Dutch side, at the end of Runway 10 of Princess Juliana International Airport. OpenStreetMap maps it in the Maho district of the Lowlands area, on the island's south-west coast.
Both outlets describe the beach as small. CNN says a single road separates the airport's landing strip from the beach, and USA Today describes a narrow two-lane road between the beach and the runway gate.
Aircraft overhead
Landing aircraft come in low over the beach. CNN reports that they pass less than 100 feet above people on the beach, and USA Today says planes on final approach pass "right on top of sunbathers and snorkelers".
CNN puts the traffic at 50 to 70 landings a day in peak season.
What the fence signs warn
USA Today says fencing and a guardrail are there to stop people getting too close, and a sign on the gate warns them away.
Signs on the airport fence at Maho Beach warn: "DANGER – Jet blast of departing and arriving aircraft can cause severe physical harm resulting in extreme bodily harm and/or death."
That wording comes from a November 2015 photo of the sign on Wikimedia Commons, and The Daily Herald has quoted the same text. The sign has not been re-checked since.
Drones: a No Fly Zone
- Maho Beach and the area around Princess Juliana International Airport are a No Fly Zone for drones under Ministerial Decree 2019/223 and the Luchtvaartlandsverordening, unless an exemption permit has been issued.
- Breaking the ban on purpose can lead to up to 2 years in prison, a fine of up to XCG 100,000, or both.
- The ban covers residents too. Anyone who wants to fly a drone here needs an exemption permit.
Throwing objects at aircraft
Deliberately endangering air traffic, including by throwing objects at an aircraft, carries up to 15 years in prison or a fine of up to XCG 100,000 under articles 2:111a and 2:111b of the Penal Code.
Who is behind the rules
The Prosecutor's Office (OM SXM), the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) and the St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority (SMCAA) run the "Respect the Sky" campaign, which covers drones and objects thrown or launched at aircraft.
Sources
- https://www.cnn.com/travel/maho-beach-st-martin-princess-juliana-airport-sint-maarten
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2016/04/19/beach-goers-flock-st-maarten-wild-plane-landings/82104996/
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/22901563
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/pages/Respect-the-Sky-campaign-launched-for-air-safety.aspx
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warning_sign_on_Maho_Beach.jpg
- https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/lawyer-argues-for-removal-of-concrete-blocks-at-maho-beach
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/maho-beach-st-martin-princess-juliana-airport-sint-maarten