Caribbean Review: Saba And St. Eustatius Residents Call For Lower Airfare Costs
reefguard
Airfares between Saba, St Maarten, and St. Eustatius are putting daily life under pressure. Some 12-minute flights between Saba and St. Eustatius have now reached above $400, affecting tourism, the economy, and healthcare. Members of the Dutch Parliament have received requests to help halt these rising prices.
The issue was brought to light by Island Secretary Bram Strepel through a LinkedIn post that said, ”The now affordable connectivity (more than $400, for a 12-minute flight) directly affects Saba and Statia in terms of quality of life, tourism, economy, and healthcare. The issue of rising prices has reached the Hague.
Parliament members have pressed the government on how it intends to safeguard accessibility for the islands, but Strepel says the sense of urgency remains insufficient, citing the dependence on these flights for medical care, educational, and employment access.
More members of Parliament and the standing committee for Kingdom Relations have scheduled visits to Saba, where local leaders are hoping to combat the rising airfare problem.
For the small islands within the Dutch Antilles, air travel is essential to reach hospitals, government offices, or family members. High ticket prices can also turn away tourists, which can impact hotels, restaurants, and local businesses, leading some island authorities to call for temporary fixes.
Airfare prices have been an issue in Saba. Last February, the Island Council discussed connectivity issues, with some members meeting with the CEO of Winair, a St. Maarten-based regional airline that provides primary commercial travel to Saba’s Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, to see if airfares could be reduced. After the meeting, the consensus reached was that there may be little possibility of reducing airfare costs.
Dutch Minister Tieman of Infrastructure and Water Management told Parliament earlier this month that the Dutch cabinet will not be taking immediate action to lower high flight costs between Sint Maarten and the islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius. Although the government acknowledges that air travel serves an essential function for residents, while also being a small market with only one provider and very few alternatives, it plans to wait for the possible introduction of a Public Service Obligation (PSO). A PSO would let the government regulate ticket prices and flight times, but would require an amendment to the BES Aviation Act, submitted to Parliament on December 1, 2025. Implementation would take at least two years, and funding has not been secured yet. Estimated annual government support could range from $3.8 to $7.6 million, with updated figures expected later this year.
In the present day, no measures have been taken, or are projected to be taken, to reduce ticket prices. The Makana ferry service between the islands will receive €1.5 million in government support for 2026 and 2027, but funding beyond that period has not been confirmed. Essential services such as medical care are said to be covered through separate services, including dedicated medical flights.
The average annual income of residents of St. Eustatius and Saba is roughly €38,948, which is about €743 each week. Aside from this being the average, and many residents living under this figure having an even tougher time affording plane tickets, a roughly four-hundred USD or €340 round trip flight is still a large portion of income. This is especially the case for residents who have family, school, or work on other islands and would have to take flights often. This 12 to 15-minute flight between islands costs more money for an average round trip than a flight from New York City to San Francisco, a six to seven-hour flight that covers over 2,500 miles. The prices for this commute are absurd when the distance, frequency, and necessity of these flights are considered.
The primary causes presented by critics are the monopoly of Winair over travel between the islands, a lack of care in government, and long bureaucratic processes like the push for a PSO. The Makana ferry service recently also experienced a fare increase as it no longer received subsidies from the Dutch government, but the planned new subsidies could possibly lower these rates.
Recently, Bonaire sued and won a lawsuit against the Dutch government for its lack of climate-conscious action and its lack of protection for residents of Bonaire. The Dutch Antilles have had experiences pushing back against the Dutch government’s lack of action and pressing them to repair issues in Dutch territories. It is unclear whether legal pressure, social movements, or other methods would be used to sway the opinion of the Dutch government, but if prices rise, life could get very difficult for some residents of Saba and St. Eustatius, who rely on air travel for commutes, visiting family, and access to government services and hospitals.
