Sint Maarten : Airport Signs New Agreement with ATA for Exclusive Rights to Operate

The Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company NV (PJIAE NV) in its continuous effort to implement and maintain a high standard of customer service at the airport, and further to its mission “to be the regional leader in providing safe, secure, quality and profitable airport services that contribute to the general economic and tourism development of St. Maarten/ St. Martin and the region we serve,” has entered into a new two-year agreement with the Airport Taxi Association (ATA), effective January 1, 2015.

The agreement grants the latter the exclusive rights to have its members operate taxi services to third parties at designated areas for taxi parking, collecting and dropping off of passengers at SXM Airport.

According to the agreement, non-ATA taxi drivers shall only be allowed on the airport premises for dropping off third parties, but will not be allowed to pick up third parties on the airport premises.

Also, the agreement stipulates that all 225 ATA members will be allowed to operate on the airport premises while ATA and its members will take part, at least once a year, in a mandatory training seminar as established by PJIAE in consultation with ATA.

ATA has agreed that at all times, from the arrival of the first airplane till the departure of the last airplane and if this is later till the arrival of the last airplane on each day of the week, the whole year round, including official holidays, it will make available a minimum of ten (10) members to provide taxi services at SXM Airport.

Similarly, all ATA taxi drivers are required to wear the SXM branded uniform when transporting passengers to and from the airport or while working at the airport.

“We are very pleased with this new agreement and are confident that it would result in improved customer service for all users of the airport,” said Regina LaBega, SXM managing director.

Other terms of the new agreement with ATA include:

• All ATA taxi drivers are required to keep their airport taxi card visible to third parties on the right side of their dashboard/window of their taxi vehicle.
• All ATA taxi drivers are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner.
• All ATA taxi drivers are required to display a positive and pleasant attitude toward the passengers.

· The ATA board will promote that its members have spoken command of the English and French languages.

In Photo: ATA Secretary Rohan Romney and President Jean Samuel (center) pose with other ATA members in the new SXM branded uniforms. They are joined by Maggie Gumbs, SXM Airport Marketing Officer (left) and Larry Donker, SXM Director of Operations (right).