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Princess Juliana airport opened its new departure hall in January 2024
Princess Juliana International Airport opened its new departure hall on Friday 12 January 2024, a space of over 10,000 square metres designed for 2.5 million passengers, with the new check-in area to open in phases by the end of that month, according to the airport.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 14 January 2024.
Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) opened its new departure hall to passengers on Friday 12 January 2024, a major step in rebuilding the terminal after Hurricane Irma, according to the airport operating company PJIAE. The release, dated 14 January 2024, was published by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA).
Illustrative: Maho Beach. Photo: RCraig09 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A bigger hall
According to PJIAE, the new hall spans over 10,000 square metres and was designed to handle 2.5 million passengers. The airport said it was the first phase of a wider upgrade, with new screening and emigration technology. Passengers had access to a limited selection of shops and food outlets at first, with more due to open in the following months.
Check-in to follow
PJIAE said the new check-in area would open in phases by the end of January 2024. It was designed to handle oversized luggage and included hybrid self-service bag drops that airline staff could also operate from counters.
PJIAE chief executive Brian Mingo thanked colleagues and partners for reaching the milestone. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, speaking at the celebration with stakeholders, credited resilience and hard work for the progress, the release said.
The rebuilding of the airport started in 2021, according to PJIAE.