KRALENDIJK – Recent data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shed light on aviation trends in the Caribbean Netherlands, revealing a significant increase in the number of passengers flying between Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius in 2023.

The number of passengers traveling by plane to and from Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius in 2023 increased by 6 percent compared to 2022, and by 10 percent compared to 2019, according to the CBS based on new data. A total of 504 thousand passengers were transported. The number of aircraft movements increased by over 15 percent compared to the previous year.

January recorded the most passengers, with nearly 47 thousand travelers to and from the three airports. The busiest day was Saturday, March 4, with 2.5 thousand passengers passing through the terminals of Flamingo Airport in Bonaire, F.D. Roosevelt Airport in Sint Eustatius, or Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport in Saba. On Friday, April 28, the most flights were processed, totaling 94.

The largest number of passengers flew to and from Bonaire, with over 447 thousand travelers, representing 89 percent of all passengers in the Caribbean Netherlands. This is nearly 4 percent more than in 2022 and over 16 percent more than in 2019. The runway at Flamingo Airport, with a length of three kilometers, allows larger aircraft to land.

An increase in the number of air passengers was observed on Sint Eustatius and Saba. At F.D. Roosevelt Airport in Sint Eustatius, the number of passengers increased by almost 40 percent compared to 2022, while Saba saw an increase of almost 17 percent in passengers.

The number of flights to and from Bonaire increased by 27 percent, while there was a 6 percent increase at F.D. Roosevelt Airport in Sint Eustatius. However, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport in Saba registered a decrease of 6.7 percent in the number of flights.

In Bonaire, 74 percent of all flights were between Bonaire and Curaçao, followed by 10 percent to Amsterdam. Most passengers were transported between Bonaire and Amsterdam, followed by flights to and from Curaçao.

From Sint Eustatius and Saba, flights were mainly operated to Sint Maarten, with 75 and 88 percent of flights, and 89 and 94 percent of passengers, respectively.

(Sources: CBS, StatLine – Caribbean Netherlands; Aviation, monthly airport figures & StatLine — Aviation; monthly figures for Dutch airports of national importance)