HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2013) - Peak travel season to St Maarten and the Caribbean runs from mid-December to mid-April, but Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. are recommending that operators planning to travel to the area begin planning now.
"St Maarten is one of the busiest and most congested locations in the Caribbean during peak travel periods," advised Jessica Hosmer, Senior Trip Owner, Universal®. "If you're competing with the rest of the general aviation (GA) world -- in planning an operation to the Caribbean, particularly St Maarten during high season -- you'll need to orchestrate aircraft parking and hotel arrangements well in advance and in September at the absolute latest."
Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM) in St Maarten is usually one of the first airports in the Caribbean to run out of space, according to Hosmer, who recommended Antigua (TAPA), Anguilla (TQPF) and San Juan (TJSJ) as alternatives should space at TNCM not be available. If overnight parking is not available at TNCM, drop and go is an option, but due to the high number of aircraft on the ground, operators may face considerable delays after dropping their passengers.
"Operators also need to note that TNCM is a prior permission required (PPR) only airport normally requiring five days' lead time to secure," said Hosmer. "Aviation fuel shortages also occur at TNCM occasionally, so operators should be prepared for only partial fill-ups and should consider tankering or making an additional fuel uplift after departure. Other services such as in-flight catering, ground transport should also be made well in advance."
For more information on operating to St Maarten and the Caribbean, visit www.universalweather.com/blog.
About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.
You have a simple mandate: make every trip successful -- no matter what. And your job isn't getting any easier. You have to manage stakeholders' expectations, stay on top of regulatory changes, be prepared for the unexpected occurrences that can happen -- and do all of these with fewer resources. By working with Universal, you drive risk out of these challenges by having the ability to see all that feasible, understand and anticipate regulatory changes, and by having access to a global community that can adapt and execute when trouble strikes. Keep the guarantees you make to your organization by relying on Universal's complete trip management services -- customized trip support, fuel management through UVair, worldwide ground support from Universal Aviation, online flight planning, aviation SMS software, data link, flight scheduling software, and much more.
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