Exploring Axm Airport's Home: A Country Guide

Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM, ICAO: TNCM) is located on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The airport is in the country of Sint Maarten, 15 kilometres northwest of the capital city, Philipsburg. It is one of the oldest and busiest airports in the region, serving as a hub for surrounding islands.

Princess Juliana International Airport

The airport began as a US military airstrip in 1942 during World War II. The first commercial flight landed on 3 December 1943. The future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands visited the island using the airport in 1944, and the airport was subsequently named after her. On 4 March 1944, she officially opened an airbase as a civilian airport, with a 650-metre runway. In 1964, the airport was remodelled and relocated, with a new terminal building and control tower. The facilities were upgraded in 1985 and 2001.

Due to increased passenger traffic and expected growth, Princess Juliana International Airport is undergoing modernisation following a three-phased masterplan, commissioned in 1997. Phase I included widening, strengthening and renovating the runway, increasing the bearing capacity of the taxiways, constructing a new apron, and upgrading the terminal. The airport's official operating hours are 07:00–21:00.

In 2015, the airport handled 1,829,543 passengers and around 60,000 aircraft movements. It caters to around 1.8 million passengers annually, originating primarily from the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean. The airport has very low-altitude flyover landing approaches because one end of its runway is extremely close to the shore. Jumbo jets arrive from Europe, mainly Paris and Amsterdam.

On 29 October 2014, a Skyway Enterprises flight crashed into the ocean southwest of the airport, killing both pilots. On 6 September 2017, the airport suffered significant damage from Hurricane Irma, with the roof blown off the terminal, jetways damaged, and flooding on the runway. The airport reopened on 10 October 2017 using temporary facilities, and the reconstructed check-in area opened in January 2024.

Saint Martin and Sint Maarten

Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM) is located on the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin in the country of Sint Maarten, close to the shore of Simpson Bay Lagoon. The island of Saint Martin is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic (53 sq mi) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (13 sq mi), with the Dutch side being more populated. The southern Dutch half of the island is called Sint Maarten, while the northern French half is called the Collectivity of Saint Martin.

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. It has a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 and covers an area of 13 sq mi, encompassing the southern 44% of the island of Saint Martin. The capital of Sint Maarten is Philipsburg, and the official language is Dutch, although English and a local English-based Creole are widely spoken. The official currency is the Netherlands Antillean Guilder, but the US Dollar is more commonly used.

The airport is named after Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, who landed there in 1944 when she was heir presumptive, the year after the airport opened. It is one of the oldest and busiest airports in the region, serving as a hub for Winair and the main gateway to the smaller Leeward Islands. In 2015, the airport handled 1,829,543 passengers and around 60,000 aircraft movements. The airport offers a unique landing experience, as it is located behind the world-famous Maho Beach, which is known for its low-altitude flyover landing approaches due to the proximity of the runway to the shore.

The town of Grand Case on the French side of the island is home to a smaller, regional airport called Grand Case-Espéra or Grand Case L'Esperance Airport. This airport serves the French destinations of St. Barths, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, and does not have the same international status as Princess Juliana International Airport.

Airport history and development

El Edén International Airport (AXM) is located in Armenia, Colombia. The airport's first international flight landed on November 13, 2009, and was operated by Spirit Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, USA. As of September 2023, Spirit Airlines operates three flights a week to and from El Edén International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The history of El Edén International Airport can be traced back to 2009 when it received its first international flight. However, the airport may have been in operation before this date, serving domestic flights within Colombia.

Over the years, the airport has likely undergone continuous development and improvement to accommodate the increasing air traffic and ensure compliance with international standards. These improvements may have included upgrades to the runway, taxiways, terminal buildings, and air traffic control systems.

One of the significant developments for the airport was the increase in international flights and passenger traffic. This growth in air traffic may have led to the expansion of the airport's infrastructure and the enhancement of its facilities to handle a larger volume of passengers and flights.

In addition to the physical developments, El Edén International Airport has also established itself as an important gateway to the region. Its role in facilitating tourism, business, and trade for the area has likely contributed to its significance in the aviation industry.

The airport continues to operate as an international gateway, connecting Armenia, Colombia, with destinations in the United States and potentially other parts of the world. The airport's efficient operations and compliance with international standards enable it to serve a diverse range of airlines and passengers, contributing to its role as a vital transportation hub for the region.

Airlines and destinations

El Eden International Airport (AXM) is a small airport based in Armenia, Colombia. There are 5 destinations with scheduled passenger traffic serviced by 6 airlines.

• Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport
• Midway International Airport
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
• John F. Kennedy International Airport
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
• General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport
• Gallatin Field Airport
• Asheville Regional Airport
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport
• Dulles International Airport
• Charleston International Airport
• Bob Hope Airport
• Will Rogers World Airport
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

On the other hand, if you meant the airport code SXM, this is associated with Princess Juliana International Airport, which is located on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The airport is the second busiest in the North Eastern Caribbean, handling 1.8 million passengers annually. It is a hub for Winair and serves as the major gateway for the smaller Leeward Islands, including Anguilla, Saba, Saint Barthélemy and Sint Eustatius. The airport also offers flights to Aruba and Bonaire, although these flights stop in Curaçao.

Hurricane Irma damage

Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM) is located on the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin, in the country of Sint Maarten. The airport is situated near Simpson Bay Lagoon and the world-famous Maho Beach.

On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the island as a Category 5 hurricane, causing significant damage to Princess Juliana International Airport. Footage from a Dutch military helicopter revealed extensive destruction, including the roof being blown off the terminal, damaged jetways, and substantial flooding and sand on the runway. The hurricane's impact rendered the airport inoperative until it reopened on October 10, 2017, utilising temporary facilities while repairs were underway. The reconstruction process was gradual, with the upper floor of the terminal and the jet bridges remaining out of service until November 2023.

Hurricane Irma was an extraordinarily powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that wreaked havoc throughout the northeastern Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Irma's path resulted in landfalls in Antigua, Barbuda, Saint Martin, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the United States, with its intensity ranging between Categories 4 and 5. The hurricane's eyewall passed over Barbuda at its peak intensity, obliterating 95% of the island's structures and rendering it effectively uninhabitable.

The storm caused catastrophic damage and fatalities across multiple islands and territories, including Saint Barthélemy, Anguilla, the Virgin Islands, and the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. Irma's impact in Florida was particularly severe, with over 7.7 million homes and businesses losing power, making it the largest power outage related to a tropical cyclone in the state's history. The hurricane's heavy rainfall and storm surges led to significant flooding, with at least 32 rivers and creeks overflowing. Irma's wrath left approximately 50,000 boats damaged or destroyed and inflicted about $2.5 billion in agricultural losses, including substantial damage to the citrus industry.

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