FAA air safety

There is an AP article by David Koenig in today's Albany Times Union about airline safety. The article says that the FAA determines whether countries meet international safety standards as set by the UN's aviation agency. Five countries currently do not meet those standards and Sint Maarten is one of them. I don't know if he is referring to a French side airport or SXM. Does anyone more familiar with the airline industry know what this means? I was assuming it might just be referring to the hurricane damage that has yet to be fully repaired at SXM.

I would think if it mentioned "Sint Maarten" it would be PJIA



Article link

Not sure of an airline in SXM that would want too, or even try too, launch new flights to the US. SXM to the US is serviced by US airlines

Quote from the article "...Airlines from those countries can’t launch new flights to the U.S." Huhm. So how did Jet Blue get permission to fly from FLL to SXM?

Jet Blue is not from SXM, it is based in the US, the article states that airlines FROM those 5 countries cannot launch new flights to the US, it doesn't say that airlines from the US cannot launch flights from those countries.

Oh, ok, I misunderstood that quote. Are there any airlines from SXM?? That still doesn't make any sense to me if the security issues are in SXM, whether the airline is a SXM airline, or a US airline, the security is the same??

There are airlines in SXM, I think that what the article is saying is that SXM as a country, does not have strict enough safety rules for it's airlines, that would allow them to fly to the US

WINAIR

OK, Winair doesn't have any planes that are even capable of flying to the US, do they??

Nope but they are based there. I doubt you would ever see any SXM based carrier with direct flights to the US.

Here is the article from the FAA: http://spac.pt/node/1760

SJU and STT are within range. At one time, and perhaps still, Winair was licensed for charters into SJU.

No but they can make it to Puerto Rico and St Thomas which is a US Virgin Island.

There are alot worse than those 5 countries mentioned. Winair has a great safety record I think.

Something is a bit weird here....

1) How can a country that MAYBE has ONE airline (Winair which has seven aircraft) be one of the top five airlines that do NOT meet FAA safety standards. The EU bans 120 airlines and SXM beats all but four of them ?

2) Winair is not even on the safety rating list....so how can SXM be number five worst in the world?

Airline saftety comparison list LINK

I agree, something is just not adding up.

My guess is that Country St Maarten does not have the proper levels of oversight and control in place for Country St Maarten-based airlines. This isn’t new. This first came up not too long after 10-10-10.

One airline...seven aircraft....made the top five losers in the WORLD in the safety rankings...but not even listed? Not buying it....

Ding...Ding....Ding....we have a winner. Your guess is the correct reason as to why Sint Maarten is listed as a Catagory 2 IASA rating. They are working on regaining catagory 1 status. There is a Daily Herald story here.

Interesting that they have been a level 2 country since 2012