ST. THOMAS — The V.I. Port Authority will waive 100 percent of Contour Airlines’ landing fees for up to one year as the carrier prepares to launch nonstop service between St. Thomas and St. Maarten, part of a broader effort by VIPA to make new Caribbean routes financially viable and persuade airlines to expand their presence in the territory.
VIPA’s governing board approved the incentive Wednesday, days before Contour’s first scheduled flight between Cyril E. King Airport and Princess Juliana International Airport on October 5.
The new service will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays aboard a 30-seat regional aircraft, connecting two of the Caribbean’s major tourism markets without requiring passengers to travel through a mainland hub.
VIPA staff told board members that landing-fee incentives are part of the authority’s air-service development strategy, particularly when attempting to establish international routes that may need time to build passenger demand.
The Port Authority is seeking not only to attract new carriers and destinations but to prevent newly launched routes from disappearing before they have had sufficient time to establish a customer base.
Contour’s waiver applies specifically to landing fees associated with the new service. The incentive was approved for a period not exceeding one year, with any continuation beyond that period requiring additional review and approval.
The airline announced the St. Maarten route in July. On Mondays, Contour is scheduled to depart St. Thomas at 11:35 a.m. and arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport at 12:30 p.m. The return flight leaves St. Maarten at 1:15 p.m. and arrives at Cyril E. King Airport at approximately 2:10 p.m.
Friday service is scheduled to depart St. Thomas at 12:35 p.m. for a 1:35 p.m. arrival in St. Maarten. The return flight leaves Princess Juliana at 2:30 p.m. and arrives in St. Thomas at 3:25 p.m.
The October 5 inaugural arrival will be marked by VIPA and the V.I. Department of Tourism with a water salute and welcome ceremony.
But discussion at Wednesday’s board meeting extended beyond St. Maarten, offering a glimpse into the additional Caribbean markets VIPA is attempting to develop.
Board member Celestino White urged Port Authority officials to raise Antigua and St. Kitts with Contour, pointing to the number of people from those islands who reside in the Virgin Islands.
“Tell them there are extremely large populations of nationals from St. Kitts and from Antigua,” Mr. White said.
VIPA officials indicated that conversations with Contour are continuing and are not limited to those destinations.
Territorial Airport Manager Jerome Sheridan told the board that Contour has previously explored a St. Croix–St. Lucia route, although no agreement has been finalized.
“The airline was looking at the St. Croix to Saint Lucia route,” Mr. Sheridan said. “That is not necessarily off the table.”
He characterized the discussions as ongoing, saying VIPA remains engaged with Contour and other airline partners instead of waiting until carriers independently decide to add service.
Direct regional air connections remain more limited on St. Croix than on St. Thomas, and travelers frequently must make additional stops to reach nearby Caribbean destinations.
A direct St. Croix–St. Lucia flight, if ultimately established, could also tap into the territory’s substantial Eastern Caribbean population while creating another travel option for leisure, business and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic.
Board Chairman Willard John welcomed the larger effort to rebuild regional connectivity but said attracting a carrier is only part of the challenge. New routes must generate enough passenger traffic to survive once introductory support expires.
“I’m happy to know that there are airlines willing to expand in the region, something that we need desperately,” Mr. John said.
He urged continued support for carriers attempting regional service “because sometimes they come and they don’t make enough money. They don’t have enough supply.”
That concern helps explain the landing-fee waiver approved Wednesday. Airline-service incentives allow airports to temporarily reduce some of the costs associated with opening a new route while airlines test demand and establish passenger patterns.
Contour already operates regional service from St. Thomas to Dominica.
