On Tuesday August 24, 2021, an official signing with the General Contractor of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, the Ballast Nedam International Projects B.V. (BNIP), was held at the former Check-In Hall at the Princess Juliana International Airport.

The event signified the start of one of the most anticipated reconstruction projects of the company’s history, following the consequences of the massive devastation to the structure during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project is jointly funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. The Sint Maarten Trust Fund is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB).

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Princess Juliana International Airport, Mr. Brian Mingo, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ballast Nedam International Projects B.V., Mr. Roy van Eijsden, was in attendance to lead the signing in the presence of the esteemed guests during a closed ceremony.

“This is a major milestone for the country, PJIAE NV and our staff.  I would also like to compliment the project team with this accomplishment, despite the hurdles such as COVID-19, which complicated the works tremendously, they never lost focus and made the impossible, quite possible.  

I also would like to thank all stakeholders not forgetting our shareholder, the Princess Juliana International Airport Holding Board (PJIAH) and the Government of Sint Maarten for their patience and consistent support over the last year. I am proud to announce that we finally can start rebuilding the “Airport of the future.” announced Mr. Brian Mingo. 

The construction portion of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project will take a phased-planned approach over a two-year period, following the mobilization of the contractor in August 2021. The project is an essential renovation development, which will further modernize the fifteen-year-old terminal building.

The reconstruction project is on schedule to start by the end of September 2021 and completed by quarter two of 2023, however, sections of the terminal building will begin to come online from as early as December 2022.  

For more information about the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, online web users may gain access to the website at www.sxmairport.com and select the construction tab.