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While May and June were better than 2023 in terms of passenger traffic, July and August were down.
One year follows another, and no two are alike. At least when it comes to air traffic frequency on Saint-Barthélemy. After recording an increase in passenger numbers in May and June compared with fiscal 2023, airport management noted a drop in traffic in July and August. But not on all routes.
More planes, fewer passengers
In fact, it was mainly "domestic" passenger traffic that was down in July and August, compared with the benchmark years of 2023 and 2019. The management of Saint-Barthélemy airport points out a slight paradox: during these two months of activity, a greater number of aircraft movements were recorded than in 2023 (97 additional movements, an increase of 1.8%). On the other hand, aircraft were "less full".
The first consequence of this lower load factor than in the previous year at the same time a 2.6% drop over the two "summer" months, including -1.41% in July and -4.1% in August. In the former case, despite the decline, traffic remained well above 2019 levels (+13.5% passengers). In August, on the other hand, the fall compared with 2019 was confirmed (-12%).
At the same time, airport management noted a 3.4% increase in international traffic, while domestic traffic was in free fall (-17.1%). This is mainly due to the sharp drop in traffic between Saint-Barth and Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe): - 27.3% compared with 2023. In July, passengers from Pointe-à-Pitre numbered 1,995, down 39.78% on 2023. This trend continued in August (-12.54% with 2,435 passengers). On the other hand, more passengers came to Saint-Barth from Saint-Martin Grand Case (1,368 in July, up 16.52%, and 1,202 in August, up 2.65%).
At the same time, more passengers arrived from Sint Maarten's Princess Juliana airport in July this year than in 2023 (9,902, +10.76%), and almost as many in August (6,677, +0.09%). This trend is confirmed by figures for each airline.
Winair, the most popular airline
In both July and August, Winair topped the rankings for passengers arriving in and departing from Saint-Barth, with 7,959 in July (+19.65% on 2023) and 5,142 in August (-3.62%). Saint-Barth Commuter recorded fewer passengers over the same period (3,373 in July and 2,723 in August), but with a strong increase compared to fiscal 2023 (+20.85% in July, +18.49% in August).
Tradewind rounded off the podium (2,373 passengers in July, 1,569 in August), while Air Antilles timidly returned to the air (882 passengers in July, 1.115 in August), followed by Saint-Barth Executive (742 in July, +248.36% on 2023, and 896 in August, +305.43%). The sharp rise in the number of passengers carried by the latter company is linked to the opening of new routes, notably between Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint-Barth.
January and February down sharply
Overall, year-to-date traffic is down 5.5%. "Still due to the impact of the reduction in connections with Pointe-à-Pitre", insists the management of Saint-Barth airport, who adds: "However, international traffic rose by 4.3%, i.e. 5,082 additional passengers. This performance was achieved thanks to dynamic connections with San Juan (Puerto Rico, +6.6%) and Sint Maarten (+3.4%). "
Since January 1, 26,348 passengers have travelled between San Juan and Saint-Barth. Between Sint Maarten and Saint-Barth, 91,408. Grand Case is trailing behind with 10,653 passengers, although this represents an increase of 4.38% on 2023. On the Raizet side, in Pointe-à-Pitre, the drop was staggering (-57.74%), with 10,212 passengers recorded on the route since January.
A total of 145,470 passengers arrived on and departed from Saint-Barthélemy between the beginning of January and the end of August. And as Saint-Barth airport management noted, only May and June exceeded 2023 in terms of passenger traffic. January and February were the months most affected by this decline, with decreases of 9.6% and 19.5% respectively. March and April were less affected (-1.3% and -4%).
Traditionally the island's weakest months in terms of visitor numbers and, consequently, air traffic, September and October will undoubtedly add to this "downward" picture, which needs to be put into perspective. Indeed, the figures for 2023 were still very high compared with those for the reference year, 2019. In the wake of a whimsical 2022 fiscal year, which literally blew the historical averages for tourism to Saint-Barth out of the water. As a result, the "return to normal" announced last year seems to be confirmed.
