Den Haag – Tweede Kamerlid Peter van Haasen (PVV) vindt dat het kabinet in actie moet komen om de verbinding van Sint Eustatius en Saba met de buitenwereld veilig te stellen.
Aanleiding voor de oproep is het besluit van Winair geen vracht meer mee te nemen op vluchten naar en van Sint Maarten. Van Haasen wijst ook de hoge ticketprijzen van Winair waarvan Nederland mede-aandeelhouder is: “De ongeveer 5.000 inwoners van beide eilanden zitten gevangen in de greep van Winair, de luchtvaartmaatschappij die een monopolie heeft op de korte vlucht van vijftien minuten.”
“Ik zal overleggen met mijn collega, die de luchtvaartportefeuille beheert, om te bespreken welke stappen we kunnen nemen om de isolatie van de mensen op Saba en Statia te verminderen”, kondigt het Kamerlid aan.
De ticketprijzen, betrouwbaarheid en continuïteit van de vliegverbindingen van Statia en Saba met Sint Maarten hebben al jaren de aandacht van de Nederlandse regering. Het ene na het andere onderzoek heeft een hoge stapel rapporten opgeleverd, maar geen besluit.
𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗮 -𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻
Saba is the most isolated part of the Netherlands. This Caribbean volcanic island, formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, has been a ‘special’ municipality of the Netherlands since 10-10-10. It is part of the Windward Islands and is only accessible via Sint Maarten, either by ferry or by plane. Saba also has the shortest commercial runway in the world.
Before 10-10-10, Saba and Sint Maarten were both part of the Netherlands Antilles, but after Sint Maarten gained autonomy in 2010, increasing unforeseen problems arose regarding the connectivity of Saba and Sint Eustatius (Statia). Flights and transport that were previously domestic suddenly became international. This led to huge price increases on both Saba and Statia, affecting both the cost of living and passenger transport. Since both islands are dependent on healthcare services in Sint Maarten, a hospital visit there now costs about 300 dollars for a return flight.
The approximately 5,000 inhabitants of both islands are caught in the grip of Winair, the airline that holds a monopoly on the short fifteen-minute flight route. Winair has now also stopped transporting cargo and only carries urgent parcels, with a maximum weight of 20 kilograms. These islands lie in the so-called ‘hurricane belt’ and are regularly inaccessible by ship. Additionally, Saba’s harbor often becomes unusable after a storm or hurricane.
Winair has halted cargo transportation because it wants to qualify for a special IOSA certification. The De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, the aircraft Winair uses for flights to Saba and Statia, do not meet the requirements for IOSA certification. Winair is pursuing this certification for their other Caribbean routes, where they operate with larger aircraft.
Sint Maarten and the Dutch government are co-owners of Winair and are therefore responsible for this policy. This policy effectively cuts off around 5,000 Caribbean Dutch citizens from the outside world. I will consult with my colleague, who holds the aviation portfolio, to discuss what steps we can take to reduce the isolation of the people of Saba and Statia.