The good news for St. Maarten continued with the revelation that SXM is “on the radar” for when Southwest Airlines extends its wings to the Caribbean starting July 1, 2014. The airline, with a fleet of 700 aircraft, is expanding its international operations as part of its merger with Air Tran, which it acquired in 2011. New service for the Summer 2015 season will be announced in the next four to five months and according to John Kirby, International Business Manager for Southwest Airlines, “SXM is highly favored.”