To combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus and save lives, strict containment and travel restriction measures have been in place since March 17, 2020. They involved the cancellation of commercial flights and the announcement of the closure of Princess Juliana Airport in Sint-Maarten. Tourists visiting Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy thus found themselves without a solution to return to the Metropolis.
List people waiting for a return flight to the metropolis
As soon as the commercial flight restrictions were announced on March 18, the Prefecture took up the airline companies to coordinate as best as possible the return to the metropolis of tourists present in our territories. The services of the Prefecture have in particular created tools to identify the needs of people in difficulty. On March 20, a dedicated email address enabled users to report to the state services. This point of contact was simplified from March 22 by setting up an online form.
More than 400 people, alone or with family, were accompanied
Each request was subject to personalized monitoring by a team of agents in the Prefecture. The travelers were thus informed along the water of the possibilities and the conditions of departure either via the airport of Sint-Maarten, or via the airport of Saint-Martin. In this emergency phase, more than 400 requests were processed for Saint-Martin and for Saint-Barthélemy.
Territorial continuity is ensured from Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy airports
Territorial continuity to Guadeloupe and Martinique is provided by flights departing from Grand Case airport in Saint-Martin and Saint-Jean in Saint-Barthélemy.
Flights to the Metropolis are set up from Ponte-à-Pitre.
Each traveler is responsible for the organization of his trip and the reservation of his plane tickets.
As a reminder, during this period of confinement, the only people authorized to travel are those who can justify an overriding reason for travel: - personal or family - emergency health - professional that cannot be postponed.
Checks are conducted at airports on the validity of supporting documents allowing the trip and a fortnight is imposed for passengers arriving at their destination.
6,277 total views
No comments