The Princess Juliana airport is located 15 kilometers northwest of Philipsburg on the Dutch controlled side of the island and is the major St. Martin airport. Juliana former queen of the Netherlands gave it her name. It is celebrated for its short air strip, just at the water's edge, with a very low approach of 10-20 Meters above the beach.


After two years of work, a new terminal was opened in November2006. The airport has a capacity of accommodating 1.2 million passengers, the < Master Plan> foresees an accommodating capacity of 2.5 million passengers.

Many travelers from the United States are brought to St. Martin airport aboard American Airlines. Continental Airlines and US Airways also offer flights (though less frequently) from a few major U.S. cities. Since January 2008 Jet Blue offers Daily non-stop service from New York to St. Maarten.

St. Martin airport is easily accessible from Europe as well. Air France conducts daily non-stop flights from Paris to St. Martin airport.

Local carriers also access St. Martin airport and allow easy access to other Caribbean islands. Windward Islands Airways is based at the main St. Martin airport on the Dutch side and provides daily service from the St. Martin airport to Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths, St. Eustatius, and St. Kitts-Nevis.

Approximate flight times:

• NY to St. Martin Airport: 3.5 hours
• Miami to St. Martin Airport: 2.5 hours
• Paris to St. Martin Airport: 8.5 hours