1.5 million euros for ferry subsidy while authorities explore subsidised air travel

The Dutch govern­ment has made 1.5 million euros available to subsidise ferry services between St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten in 2027 while authorities explore how to add subsidised air travel in the future, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Man­agement Vincent Karremans and Dutch State Secretary of Home Af­fairs and Kingdom Relations Eric van der Burg have told the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament.

In a letter to Members of Parlia­ment (MPs) on Monday, Karremans and Van der Burg described con­nectivity between the SSS islands as a “basic provision” for Saba and St. Eustatius residents, who depend on St. Maarten for access to health­care, educational institutions and essential services like banking. They argue that both air and sea connec­tions should exist alongside each other to safeguard predictable ac­cess to Saba and St. Eustatius.

Karremans’ and Van der Burg’s position is a softening of the Dutch government’s long-standing reluc­tance to fund air travel, despite having subsidised the Makana ferry since late 2021.

“As long as travel remains ex­pensive and unpredictable, eco­nomic activity, the labour market and tourism will remain small, and dependence on the central govern­ment will remain high. At its core, the cabinet sees two crucial roles for the connectivity of St. Eustati­us and Saba. Namely, connectivity as basic provision, and connectiv­ity as a catalyst for liveability and economic activity,” Karremans and Van der Burg wrote. “The framework for better safeguard­ing connectivity is equality. The aim here is to achieve an equivalent effect for resi­dents of St. Eustatius and Saba in relation to residents of the European Nether­lands. Tailor-made solutions remain possible, but must be transparently and carefully justified.”

Karremans and Van der Burg argued that air and seaconnectivity complement each other and reduce un­predictability, especially in adverse weather conditions that can disrupt one of these modes of transportation.

“A strong crosswind may result in flights having to be cancelled, while under those conditions ferry services can often continue. Conversely, flights may continue when long-period swells on the open sea make ferry opera­tions impossible or risky,” Karremans and Van der Burg said.

Because St. Maarten is a central hub for connecting St. Eustatius and Saba, they said discussions will also be held with the St. Maarten government. “This concerns an exploration of a public service obligation (PSO) for air connections, and of ferry connections between the Windward Islands. Because of their inter-relationship, these will be approached in an integrated manner.”

Between 2022 and 2025, the Makana ferry transported approximately 35,000 pas­sengers per year between the SSS islands, according to the letter. In almost five years of operation, it “has become clear that the ferry connec­tion is not economically vi­able without a government contribution,” Karremans and Van der Burg said.

In July, the Dutch Parlia­ment passed an amend­ment to the BES Aviation Act, which created the legal framework for a public ser­vice obligation (PSO) on air routes to the Caribbean Netherlands. The legislation allows the Dutch govern­ment to set requirements for ticket prices, frequency and capacity and to compensate an airline selected to operate a PSO route.

The Daily Herald.