Island Updates
New Nonstop Flights from San Juan Bolster St. Maarten’s Appeal for Visitors and Investors
Sep 22, 2025
Quick Summary
St. Maarten is poised to gain yet another boost to its growing appeal in tourism, business, and real estate, with Contour Airlines launching nonstop service between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) in Sint Maarten beginning Friday, November 14th, 2025.
What This Means for Tourism & Travel
According to Caribbean Journal, the new route will be operated using Contour’s 30-seat regional jets, each offering ample legroom, free snacks, and in-flight service. For travelers, this means a more comfortable, direct option for enjoying both the vibrant capital life of San Juan and the beaches, resorts, culture, and hospitality of St. Maarten.
From a tourism standpoint, this adds significant convenience for visitors from Puerto Rico, a major regional market. Easy access helps make St. Maarten more competitive versus other Caribbean islands by shortening travel times and improving connections. It also enhances the potential for multi-destination trip itineraries including both beautiful islands of Puerto Rico + St. Maarten. This will help in attracting travelers who might previously have skipped one of these islands in their Caribbean vacation due to inconvenient flight paths.
Real Estate and Economic Implications
For real estate in St. Maarten, improved air connectivity often translates into stronger demand. Buyers—both investors and second-home seekers—from Puerto Rico and other nearby markets may now see St. Maarten as more accessible and attractive. Whether for vacation homes, rental properties, or luxury residences, being better linked to another travel hub means increased appeal.
Local tourism stakeholders, including hotels, resorts, and vacation rental operators, are likely to benefit from longer booking windows, more off-peak travel, and possibly higher occupancy, since more travellers may be encouraged by the ease of flights. That in turn tends to uplift property values, especially in locations that are close to amenities, beaches, or with easy access to Princess Juliana International Airport.
Strategic Importance
St. Maarten’s Director of Tourism, May-Ling Chun, emphasized that this route is more than just a connection—it’s a bridge that strengthens economies, deepens cultural ties, and fuels regional tourism. Meanwhile, Princess Juliana International Airport’s CEO, Michael Cleaver, noted the long-term impact: that this renewed San Juan connection isn’t just about schedules and seats, but about fostering people, business and opportunity.
This new link further establishes St. Maarten as a regional hub. For prospective property owners, that status tends to lead to better infrastructure, improved services, greater investment in amenities, and increased demand for quality housing. This announcement from Countour comes on the back of newly announced routes from JetBlue as well as Southwest Airlines' newly added routes to St. Maarten.
Since 1999, St. Maarten Sotheby's International Realty has been a leading provider of luxury rentals and real estate services in St. Maarten and St. Martin. Be sure to contact our team of experts today to begin planning your next Caribbean vacation or to discuss buying or selling real estate on the island.
Photo Credit - Contour Airlines via PR Newswire