 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Windward Express" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| |||||||
| Founded | 2000 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating bases | Princess Juliana International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 1 | ||||||
| Destinations | 27 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Philipsburg, Sint Maarten | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Windward Express Airways is an airline based at Princess Juliana International Airport in the island of Sint Maarten. It provides air charter and cargo services throughout the Eastern Caribbean.
Windward Express operates chartered and cargo flights to 27 destinations throughout the Caribbean.[1] The airline flys routes primarily to the Islands of St Barthélemy and Saba from Sint Maarten.
As of summer 2024, Windward Express currently operates a single Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (Registered PJ-WED). Thanks to its STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capabilities, the type is ideal for operations at airports with short runways in the Caribbean such as Saint-Barthélemy, Baillif, Les Saints, and Saba.[2][3]
Windward Express's fleet has contracted in recent years. The airline used to operate the following additional aircraft:
| Aircraft | No. of Passengers | Regristration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander | 9 | PJ-WEA | Destroyed in Hurricane Irma 2017 |
| Britten-Norman BN-2B-20 Islander | 9 | PJ-WEB | Under possible rebuild after crash in Feb 2023. |
| Piper PA-23 Aztec | 4-5 | PJ-WEC | Last confirmed flight: Jan 2020[4] |
On the 13th of February 2023, a Windward Express BN-2B-20 Islander (registered PJ-WEB) sustained substantial damage while landing at the Saba-Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB / TNCS). The aircraft struck the ground to the left and approximately one meter before the threshold of runway 12. With the main landing gear severely bent, the aircraft subsequently made a hard landing on the runway. The pilot, two passengers, and a dog exited the aircraft unharmed.
Weather was ruled as the main factor in the accident. Rain showers were reported in the area at the time of accident, and a heavy downdraft likely forced the aircraft into the terrain.[5]
The airframe of PJ-WEB was subsequently dismantled on the apron of the airport suggesting an attempt to transport and/or rebuild the aircraft. Satellite data from March 2024 shows the pieces airframe still at Saba airport.
 | This Sint Maarten-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about transport in the Netherlands is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article relating to a North American, Central American or Caribbean airline is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
