Airport Road:----Regional airline, Windward Islands Airline Winair has announced that it would be terminating the route St. Maarten to Anguilla with effect from December 1, 2009. According to Vice President of Marketing, Claudio Buncamper, this is as a result of the airline suffering significant loses for the past several months which he said have resulted in the airline being unable to continue suffering loses.
Buncamper pointed out that all passengers are being contacted to inform them of the suspension of flights to Anguilla. He said that all passengers that booked directly with Winair will have the option to travel on the services of Anguilla Air Service (Winair partner Airline) using the same ticket. The VP of Marketing further explained that passengers booked using one of our interline partners, will have to refund their tickets via their travel agency or partner airline the ticket was purchased from and book directly with Anguilla Air Services
Giving an explanation for the airline’s decision to close the Anguilla route, Buncamper said that the cancelation is the poor performance and loss making of the route. “We have tried desperately over the past several months to keep the Anguilla route operational owing to the fact that we have recognized that over the years the resident and citizens of Anguilla have supported Winair,” Buncamper said.
He however noted that with the airline already faced with a number of challenges among them a decreased travelling market, rising operational and other costs it has placed the airline in a very challenging position to make such a critical decision. “We are always committed to delivering the best quality service possible and therefore we are unable to continue delivering the level of service that we recognize is needed for Anguilla owing to the significant challenges and difficulties that the airline is faced with.
As such, the management team have thought long and hard and after significant evaluation and consultation it have decided to end the route to Anguilla. Buncamper stressed that passengers should note that adequate arrangements have already been implemented to ensure a smooth transition. Winair will however maintain its sales office in Anguilla which is handled by our partner airline Anguilla Air Services (AAS), passenger can buy their tickets by AAS to fly with AAS to St. Maarten and connect to any Winair flight.
He pointed out that most airlines today are faced with growing and rapidly increasing challenges thus resulting in management being forced to take measures on lost making routes. “We, the management team have looked extensively at our other markets, WM already took measures in the beginning of the year on several routes and we held on to AXA but unfortunately things did not improve, as such, we recognize that we needed to take action now or failure to do so may result in the company incurring further financial loss,” Buncamper declared.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Winair, Edwin Hodge in commenting on the situation has expressed his personal disappointment noting that whenever the company has to make such decisions it will always be one that painful to everyone. “We within Winair have had a great and family related relationship with the residents and citizens of our various routes and knowing that we would no longer be flying there is indeed one of disappointment,” he said.
He noted that with the company already suffering significant financial ;looses with the route that has not been making a profit for several months it was evident that such a decision be made if the airline is to remain operational and competitive. Ï am confident that sometime in the future Wiuair will return to Anguilla as Winair and the people of Anguilla have always had a very good relationship,” he stressed. Currently Winair operates in nine other routes.
