St. Vincent is advancing its efforts to enhance its footprint within the European market. This pertains to regions beyond the UK, emphasising both Western and Eastern Europe.
Minister of Tourism Carlos James indicates that they aspire to ratify multiple air services agreements by the second or third quarter of this year to facilitate this endeavour.
“By the second or third quarter, we are hoping to complete and ratify at least two or three air service agreements with the Dutch, French, and German governments. This will enable us to facilitate greater air connectivity, but more so right here in the region, because there are territories in Saint Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and the French and Dutch territories, which we have already started connecting in terms of flights within the region.”
James indicated that the SVG government has established provisions for flights operating between Saint Martin and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with connections facilitated through Saint Lucia.
“We also have to put an air service agreement in with the Dutch government to ensure that all of the air connectivity is regulated and there’s transparency in the process relating to the air travel between the territories, not just within the region,” James stated.
Winair, a government-owned regional airline from the Netherlands, headquartered in Sint Maarten, expanded its network by incorporating St. Vincent into its routes on November 15, 2024.
