05/05/2025
St. Maarten is set to benefit from an increase in airlift as Air Canada has added an additional weekly flight to the island for its upcoming Winter Sun 2025–2026 schedule. This brings the total number of Air Canada flights to Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) to five per week, strengthening the vital air bridge between Canada and St. Maarten.
The announcement is part of Air Canada’s broader winter expansion, which reflects a 16 percent increase in seat capacity to Latin America. The updated schedule includes new routes to Rio de Janeiro, Cartagena, Guatemala City, and Guadalajara, as well as expanded service to a number of existing destinations, including St. Maarten.
Air Canada highlighted the scale of its expansion in a public release, stating: “In total, with over 55 daily flights and more than 80,000 seats weekly, Air Canada will offer the most comprehensive offering of any Canadian carrier flying to Latin America.”
New Canadian gateways to destinations such as Santiago, Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Nassau, Montego Bay, and Huatulco were also included in the carrier’s expanded plans. For St. Maarten, the added flight is seen as a valuable enhancement to existing connectivity and a timely opportunity to capture greater market share from Canada’s growing outbound travel segment.
The additional frequency is expected to further bolster St. Maarten’s winter tourist season and support the island’s broader efforts to regain momentum in airlift and tourism growth.
