St-Maarten (SXM / TNCM) Neth. Antilles

IATA: SXM – ICAO: TNCM

Summary

Airport type

Public, Princess Juliana International Airport serves the island of Saint Maarten (also known as St Martin) in the Netherlands Antilles. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean, after Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2005, the airport handled 1,663,226 passengers.The airport serves as a hub for Windward Islands Airways and is the major gateway for the smaller Leeward Islands, including Anguilla, Saba, St. Barthélemy and St. Eustatius.

Owner

Princess Juliana Int'l Airport Holding Company N.V.

Location

   Saint Maarten

History

The airport was started as a military airstrip in 1942. It was converted to a civilian airport in 1943. In 1964 the airport was remodeled and relocated, with a new terminal building and control tower. The facilities were upgraded in 1985.

Coordinates

Website		www.pjiae.com

Runways

Direction

Length

Surface

ft

m

09/27

7,152

2,180

Asphalt

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• The airport is famous for its short landing strip — only 2,180 metres/7,152 ft,which is barely enough for heavy jets. Because of this, the planes approach the island flying extremely low, right over Maho Beach. Countless photos of large jets flying at 10--20 m/30-60 ft over relaxing tourists at the beach have been dismissed as photoshopped many times, but are nevertheless real. For this reason as well it has become a favourite for planespotters.