~ Media tour of PJIAE depicts the real picture of the project. ~
SIMPSON BAY:--- Members of the media on St. Maarten were taken on a tour of the Princess Juliana Terminal Building on Wednesday. This enables members of the media to see the actual project and the progress made since Ballas Nedam started the reconstruction in October 2021.
The reconstruction of the project has a price tag of $154M which is scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2024. The Airport terminal was destroyed in 2017 by hurricane Irma however the airport had to go through a tedious process of acquiring funds that were provided by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, while they also had to battle the insurance company in court to get what was rightfully due to them.
The administrative processes and acquiring the funds took as many as four years before the contract was awarded to Ballas Nedam in October 2021. Besides the reconstruction of the terminal building, the management of Princess Juliana International Airport has decided to re-enforce the structure while fixing all that was not working adequately prior to the destruction in 2017.
Project Director Mirto Breel explained that there were a number of setbacks one being the mold discovered on the steel and the repainting that created a 7-month delay. Breel admitted the mold was highlighted in the 2017 report, but the extent was much more than was mentioned in the report. He also admitted that after the project is completed an investigation would have to take place to determine how the mold was missed. 
The new departure hall is expected to be completed by the beginning of the season of 2023 when completed the new hall will have a number of added features much more shops with adequate spacing for each business, two business class lounges with an upper floor, two unisex bathrooms for persons who went to the airport directly from the beaches on St. Maarten. When completed there will be four jet bridges and other facilities that would match other international airports.
Breel said the entire departure hall was damaged by hurricane Irma which today had to be rebuilt. He added that all air-conditioning in the building was revamped. The Project director explained that there have been a number of inaccurate information in the public domain while the airport has extended an invitation to members of parliament so that they would be able to see the progress of the work done at PJIAE, however, the parliament of St. Maarten has not taken up on the offer for an onsite tour.
Setbacks.
While the airport is busy with its reconstruction there are some obvious setbacks that have affected the operations of the airport, however, the management of PJIAE says that they simply cannot do more than they have done to make operations smoother. Chief Executive Officer Brian Mingo said better operations would require all hands on deck in order for things to move faster and better. He admitted that there are a number of complaints about the construction noise but also added that in order for the contractor to meet its 2023 deadlines for the departure hall they must work during the day and at night. Mingo said that there are additional flights and this weekend the airport is expected to handle 6, 500 passengers. He explained that there are only two baggage belts however all of this will change as soon as the project is completed.
Work is also being done in the ticketing hall where there is a total do-over, when completed the hall will be completed with amenities that will make traveling easier.
