PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, August 11, 2022, the Acting Minister of TEATT, Mr. Omar Ottley met with the St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority (SMCAA) to present the much-anticipated aviation Licenses, which were upgraded to an innovative new ID format.
The new licenses are an upgrade from the old paper licenses that were issued to aviation professionals (pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers). The new licenses contain all of the required information by the aviation ministerial regulations and remain compliant with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
It is a requirement for aviation professionals to have their certification credentials on their person when performing their duties. With the new ID format, it is now less cumbersome to comply with this requirement given that the license is now the size of a standard credit card, driver’s license, or ID card.
Minister Ottley would also like to extend his sincere gratitude to the Netherlands which has provided the SMCAA with the equipment to develop the new ID format licenses. This is an important step toward modernizing and upgrading the SMCAA licensing system.