The Conference, which was organised by the American Association of Airport Executives, brought over 100 aviation executives from the Western Hemisphere to St. Maarten. For two days they discussed their industry. The conference itself centred on alternative ways and means for the industry to keep afloat; rising fuel costs, high energy bills, airline capacity shortages and the lingering safety concerns have left aviation no shortage of challenges; the airport and airline officials acknowledged that there is no quick fix to their problems and that going forward all players will have to use their full effort to bring about major efficiency, improvements and put to work all their creativity.

 

drs Eugene Holiday, president of the Princess Juliana International Airport - was pleased with the two-day conference: with more than 100 delegates, it had been the largest aviation conference ever on the island. “We got some pretty interesting insights and we will certainly see what can work for us. We learned that we have to be as creative as possible and work with our airline partners,” he said.

 
The conference heard some pretty interesting presentations, among which by airport veteran Bill Barkhauer, Chairman of the AAAE. Mr. Barkhauer said that as air service issues remain a major challenge, airlines will slash their service to smaller communities in remote areas; so destinations have to be inventive. Calling the problem an international issue, he said small rural communities in the US as well as small communities outside the US –such as the Caribbeanshould advise their governments of the enormous economic impact flight cuts will have and consider offering the airlines incentives in return for maintaining flights.

Bobbi Thompson, vice president of consultants Airport Business Solutions said airports could consider applying alternative revenue earning methods, while Jawad Rachami, business development director at engineering specialists Wyle Laboratories made a case for energy cost savings methods.”There are things airports could do right now to optimize their energy use at,” he said.

 

Most speakers advised that airports and airlines should talk cooperation a lot more, because airlines are frustrated and airports are feeling the pinch; the new reality is not what it used to be, so everybody needs to engage to continue to make money.

But while the presentations during the conference were excellent, they were not its only element that made delegates proclaim that St. Maarten hosted the best AAAE meeting ever. Delegates also got to enjoy the island’s friendliness in social gatherings and sporting events; and it was the Caribbean beach-side, “sand-between-your-toes” party on the night of June 21 that blew everyone away.

The airport’s marketing and customer service department set up a well appreciated event at Waikiki Beach; the beachside restaurant was turned into a marketplace where delegates were taken back to St. Maarten’s olden days. They were treated to performances by some of the island’s top artistes and fireworks; by the time the buses were ready to take them back to their accommodations, many clearly
had not had enough yet.

<< back