In 1946, Rémy de Haenen flew the first airplane to the island of St Barth, landing on the savannah where the airport was eventually built. On October 1, 1984 the Gustav III Airport opened its doors in Saint Barthélemy. It was rather casual by airport standards, with an open-air bar that was a great place to meet and greet those coming and going. Little by little, the terminal increased in size to become what it is today, with 800 sq meters of space and modern conveniences.
In 2005, the airport was renamed, with the Swedish king replaced by Rémy de Haenen, in tribute to the French-Dutch pioneer of aviation in the Caribbean, who later became mayor of Saint Barth.
Getting To Saint Barth
The closest international airport to St Barth (SBH) is Princess Juliana (SXM) in St Martin, with flights of only ten minutes. Other options include connecting in San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) or Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe (PTP).
Air Traffic
After a good start in 2017, tourist traffic slowed considerably, due to the destruction caused by hurricane Irma. With 238,400 visitors, there were fewer passengers coming by air and by sea, marked by a 12.1% decrease at the airport, or 184,459 passengers in 2016 compared to 162,234 in 2017.
However, the island remains a popular tourist destination, as seen by increased air traffic in 2018 and 2019.
See you soon in St Barth!
© A c c e s s Keno Gauvrit Beblo
