Draft:SXM Airways

SXM Airways (formally St. Maarten Airways) is a charter airline based at Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten. The airline provides “on demand” chartered flights throughout the Eastern Caribbean.

History and Founding
SXM Airways commenced its operations on December 12, 2017 with a single Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander Aircraft (Registered PJ-SXM). The airline was founded by Rolando Brison with the help of shareholders Elvis Queeley, Michel Carter, Jeff Oliver.

In 2015, Windward Islands Airways (Winair) filed a lawsuit against Queeley, Carter, and Oliver after they were caught exploiting Winair’s intellectual property in an attempt to help Brison found his own airline (what would become SXM Airways). Queeley, Carter, and Oliver were high-ranking employees at Winair at the time of the lawsuit. Brison had been previously fired from his position as assistant to the chief pilot at Winair for embezzlement. Sint Maarten’s Court of First Instance ruled in favor of Winair, and the three men were fired without payment. Brison had promised to compensate Queeley, Carter, and Oliver with SXM Airways’ shares, rather than direct compensation. Despite the lawsuit, the court did not impose penalty on any of the men, and SXM Airways was established after a license to operate was successfully obtained.

While SXM Airways was founded with the intention of flying many of the same routes as Winair, they focus exclusively on charter operations that supplement the growing demand for flights in the Eastern Caribbean during tourism seasons.

Collaborations
In 2024, SXM Airways collaborated with aviation influencer and photographer Sam Chui to promote their charter services to Saint Barthélemy and Saba. These two airports have challenging approaches and landings that Chui showcased on his Youtube channel.

Destinations
SXM airways operates chartered flights primarily to islands neighboring Sint Maarten like Saint Barth and Saba. SXM Airways is one of only three airlines certified to land at Saba’s Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport.

However, SXM Airways also provides flights to 20 other destinations throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Both private and business charters are offered.

Fleet
As of summer 2024, SXM Airways operates a fleet of four aircraft: Each aircraft’s registration corresponds to the IATA Codes of airports SXM Airways frequently services.