Author: airport

Enhanced public transportation service for Airport community

Willemstad, March 4, 2021  ̶  Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP), the first local private company to have requested the installation of a fully customized bus stop at its location to ABC Busbedrijf and the local Government, has successfully received a positive reply to the request and with this, enhanced the public transportation experience of all CAP employees and members of the airport community who make use of these services.

CAP continuously looks into ways to improve the overall experience of its employees, travelers and visitors. With this in mind, it was a no-brainer that the situation at the airport with regards to the public transportation had to be revised and enhanced seen that the location only counted with one bus stop on such large operational area. The location of this only bus stop was unfortunately also not the most efficient as it was located towards the end of the premises on the west side of the Airport, while the entry to the location for employees, deliverers and visitors was more far east. This logistical dilemma was not the greatest for the comfort of employees who rely on public transportation or even visitors and travelers who make use of these services to make it on time for their travels.

What also makes this bus stop extra special is the fact that it is fully customized to the look and feel of our airport. Thus, it is not the usual bus stop as can be seen throughout the island but stands out for the unique design and use of colors.  Users and visitors will notice that the sign at this stop is in the look and feel of the distinctive so called ‘way findings’ within and around the airport. The original bus stop on the west end of the premises received a facelift also and has been fully customized to match this new bus stop and have both uniformed in the look and feel of the Curaçao International Airport.

ABC Busbedrijf was glad to help upon receiving this request and CAP is immensely grateful for the great support received. The opening of this additional, customized bus stop serves simultaneously for the launch of the ABC Busbedrijf app, which contains valuable passenger information and CAP is honored to be part of this as well. The bus stop at the Curaçao International Airport also has the premiere of being the first to be having the route timetable placed at the back of the bus stop sign. Passengers will thus have accurate information on the time and route and planning their trip will be much easier.

“We are so proud to have accomplished this for the comfort of our employees and visitors who make use of public transportation. The start or end of a workday can be much more relaxed for those who make use of public transportation as this bus stop’s location is right in front of the door and has the timetable information for easier reference. No more worrying about not making it on time”, said co-CEO Mr. Paulo Mazzali.

The airport has been celebrating many achievements and is adding yet another to the list with the opening of this bus stop that will greatly serve all users.

Delivery by the wings of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Willemstad, February 17, 2021  ̶  The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines have arrived to the island of Curaçao, bringing with it renewed hope for better days as this vaccine symbolizes the possibility of returning to a sense of normalcy on the long run. Curaçao Airport Partners N.V. (CAP) unites with much joy as this represents not only a hopeful, but also historical moment.

A delegation consisting of Minister Zita Jesus-Leito, Minister of Health, Environment and Nature, Mr. Lesley Fer, Director of the Risk Management & Disaster Policy Department, Mr. Erwin Arkenbout, representative of the Netherlands in Curaçao, Mr. Cees Ursem, Manager Air France KLM Dutch Caribbean and Surinam and other KLM representatives, was present at the Curaçao International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, to officially receive the cargo containing the vaccines. CAP gladly assisted with the coordination of this moment which is another highlight of the fight against this pandemic that has taken so much from us worldwide.

Co-CEOs of CAP, Mr. Paulo Mazzali and Mr. Norman Gómez, shared: “We can be proud of what our island, our community, has managed to collectively accomplish so far with regards to how this pandemic was handled. Flight KL735 brought with it the light on the horizon. Let this be a moment we all take in with awareness of the importance of continuing the fight against this virus. We have shown we can, and we will sure continue to do so. CAP will continue to focus on the well-being of the entire airport community, from passengers, employees, to visitors. We are in this together”.

This flight is the first of many which will be arriving at the Curaçao International Airport where all operations have been duly coordinated to ensure the usual safe and proper handling of these vaccines.

Additional flights providing much needed relief to affected companies

Willemstad February 16, 2021 – Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP), is looking back with great satisfaction at the business that Air Cargo has brought to the airport community as a whole, to help withstand these uncertain times due to the pandemic.

Since the early beginning of the current Covid-19 crisis, Air Cargo began to take on an increasingly dominant role to support the survival of companies within the industry. When passenger traffic came to a virtual standstill, many airlines chose to design their passenger aircraft in such a way that they were made suitable for the transport of Air Cargo, and thus saved the survival of many airlines.

Even after passenger flights were cautiously allowed again, Air Cargo continues to play an important role, and this is also noticeable at the Curaçao International Airport.

Curaçao has always been known for the transport of so-called‘Belly-Cargo’ to Europe, or better said Air Cargo that was transported in the cargo areas of passenger flights. Mostly flowers that were supplied from Bogota (Colombia) and transported to Amsterdam mainly via KLM. Although there has been a decrease in recent years, since the current Covid-19 crises there has been a significant increase again, in which KLM currently has a leading role.

Mr. Walid-El-Hage, Managing Director of Swissport Curaçao, which company handles all these cargo flights, explained: “The latest wide bodies have more belly space than earlier-generation passenger aircraft. The B-777-300ER, A-330 and B-787 are responsible for the growth in belly freight capacity. The 777-300ER, currently often used by KLM on the Curaçao routes as a replacement of the B-747-400 can accommodate 28-30 tons of cargo in its belly, while the B-747-400 could only hold 16 tons. This ‘extra’ cargo currently can be the thin line between profit and loss.”

These days we do not only see the familiar cargo flights from Bogota, loaded with flowers for the Aalsmeer Flower Auction. We learned from Mr. Yendell Soerka, Regional Operations Manager, Caribbean & Suriname/TFTJ Americas, for KLM Cargo, that also new markets are explored such as Quito, Ecuador and Lima, Peru, whereby the products also have become more divers, like fruits from Colombia, in addition to the flowers, but also mangos, berries and asparagus from Lima.

These so-called feeder-flights are operated by South American companies with exotic names like: Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas (LAS Cargo), AerCaribe and Aerosucre. Based on the demand these airlines perform six to eight additional flights per week. Arriving in the morning hours, whereafter the aircrafts are unloaded, and the products are stored in the large cold stores at Swissport Cargo, where also the pallets with these products are repacked and remodeled by Swissport employees to fit the belly of the KLM-flights later that day.

These additional cargo flights are not only helping KLM, Swissport and CAP through these difficult times, but also help to ensure the job security for our local employees within these companies.

Willemstad, February 8, 2021  ̶  Curaçao International Airport is proud to share that it has been recognized by the Airports Council International (ACI) in its World’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ initiative for the great efforts, in not only listening to its customers’ feedback, but also taking this into account and implementing this into the daily operations where and when possible.

Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP) is very excited and thankful for this recognition as each employee and stakeholder have truly dedicated themselves in listening to our customers and giving assistance. We are committed to delivering the best of the best when it comes to customer experience. No matter who, being an employee, passenger, or visitor, their safety and comfort remain the main priority.

CAP has always had the needs of its customers as number one focus and its relentless efforts have been awarded through this prestigious recognition. The airport stood out for its remarkable input to keep passengers, employees, and visitors of the Curaçao International Airport well informed and safe during the ongoing pandemic and sharing this valuable feedback through ACI’s Airport Service Quality program.

With this, CAP adds yet another great recognition after receiving the ACI Airport Health Accreditation past November. These achievements inspire and motivate the entire team who work with great pleasure to assist all who are part of the CAP community.

A project led by The Ministry of Health and executed by ADC laboratory

Willemstad, January 28, 2021  ̶  Curacao Airport Partners N.V. (CAP) gladly informs of its collaboration given to the Ministry of Health in its continuous efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, by making its facilities available for the setup of a Medical Test Area for arriving passengers at the Curaçao International Airport, as of Friday, January 29, 2021.

As the developments around Covid-19 continue to be of concern worldwide, the Government of Curaçao, in this respect, the Ministry of Health, requested the collaboration of CAP for the installation of a Medical Test Area at the Curaçao Airport. This area provides medical support to all arriving passengers who for one or other reason may not have all their documents in place as related to their PCR test to be able to enter our island.

The team of ADC, which is the laboratory chosen by the Ministry to run this Medical Test Area, will provide support on the spot to all passengers in need, and by this means ensure that the guidelines for arriving passengers can continue to be implemented while assisting our visitors the best way possible during these uncertain times.

CAP is glad to be of support and has made the necessary adaptations to the operations in the Immigration Hall to ensure the suitability of the area and process through which the passenger can be guided to this location within our premises. The safety and health of our airport community and island as a whole is the number one priority of CAP and thus, CAP will continue to be of support for any initiative to safeguard us all.

More in detail information regarding this Medical Test Area is available via the project leaders which are the Ministry of Health (GMN) and ADC Laboratory.

Recovery through Transition

Q4 & YE 2020 Passenger Traffic Overview

Willemstad, January 17, 2021 – The recovery of commercial passenger traffic continued gradually during the fourth and final quarter of 2020. The borders for the Dutch Caribbean were reopened for commercial passenger traffic and a pilot program for air service from the USA was launched, reopening the borders to four specific states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida.  The borders remained closed for the remaining states, Colombia, and Panama. Towards the middle of the quarter, air travel recovery experienced new delays due to the resurgence of the virus in many parts of the world including Curaçao.

In October, November and December 2020, International Departing Traffic, remained driven by The Netherlands. Passenger traffic in October increased by +28% over September, in November traffic decreased by -12% compared to October and in December traffic increased by +18% over November. The average load factor remained strong in October at 74%, November 75%, but sharply decreased in December to 60%. Traffic recovery compared to 2019 was 26% in October; 31% in November and 30% in December.

The resurgence of the virus within the Dutch Caribbean caused inter island connectivity to be negatively impacted. By December 2020, Dutch Caribbean passenger traffic increased by +23% compared to November 2020. Most local airline partners restarted service with aggressive daily schedules reaching an average load factor of 73% and a recovery of traffic compared to December 2019 of 24%.

According to the UNWTO, United Nations World Tourism Organization, the COVID-19 pandemic took international tourism back to the levels of 30 years ago. The main factors weighing on the recovery of international tourism are travel restrictions, slow virus containment and low consumer confidence. In addition, IATA, International Air Transport Association, latest economic report indicates the resurgence of the virus and associated restrictions weighed on air travel recovery progress across many domestic and international markets. Europe remained the most severely impacted region due to strict containment measures.

The volatility of traffic was evident as Curaçao experienced a severe impact on passenger traffic in December 2020 with the announcement of a lockdown in The Netherlands, underscored by an urgent advice by the Dutch Government to not travel unless urgent and unavoidable. This caused a significant reduction in additional flights from KLM and TUI over the holidays.

2020 was an unprecedented year with consequences that will take years to recover from. With the paced reopening of the borders for commercial passenger traffic as of summer of 2020, most of our valued airline partners were committed to resume service and have done so albeit not at pre-COVID scheduled levels, but they returned.

As the new reality forced our airport operations to adapt to international demand for standardization of health and safety requirements, Curaçao International Airport was certified by ACI, Airport Council International, accrediting the alignment of the airport’s health measures with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations along with industry best practices. CAP adapted airport marketing and messaging towards passengers being one of ‘peace of mind’, clear communication of health and safety practices, minimal physical touch points and cleanliness throughout the facilities.

In 2020, Curaçao International Airport reached 548,000 total passenger movements. The passenger movements were -64% below the initial 2020 forecast and -62% below the total movements of 2019. Airport Council International (ACI) indicated that the losses in passenger movements by airports in 2020 are -60% for North American and -61% for South American and Caribbean airports. The recovery of passenger traffic in 2020 was 38% compared to 2019 and the average overall load factor was 74%.

UNWTO indicates that most tourism experts do not expect international tourism to return to pre-COVID levels before 2023. Curaçao Airport Partners remains cautiously optimistic for 2021 – the year of transition in which the containment of the virus, the distribution of the vaccine, the resilience of the economy and the consumer confidence, will determine the pace of recovery. Retention of air service is extremely important as airlines remain in significant financial predicaments and need all routes to be sustainable and profitable.

“We look back at a year that was one of our most challenging ones, not only as the airport, but for the destination as a whole” said Paulo Mazzali, CAP co-CEO. “Notwithstanding the challenges, we took the opportunities our new reality provided to reinvent our way of doing business. We experienced significant financial losses, cut our costs to a minimum and are extremely proud of our team that through the difficult times remained collaborative, focused, and committed to providing peace of mind! With the full support from our workforce and from our shareholders, we remain cautiously optimistic for 2021 with a moderate growth over 2020, mostly occurring in the 2nd half of 2021”.

CAP is proud to announce this important safety achievement

Willemstad, November 3, 2020  ̶  It is with great pleasure that the Curaçao Airport Partners N.V. (CAP) announces the recent achievement of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation. An important accreditation for Curaçao International Airport as it shows the level of safety provided and the commitment of all stakeholders involved at our airport to keep our personnel, travelers, and visitors safe and healthy at all times.

‘ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Program’ enables airports to demonstrate to passengers, staff, regulators, and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety in a measurable, established manner while also validating their own measures and processes. It is aligned also with guidance from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and will help reassure the travelling public that air travel is safe at the accredited airports.

This accreditation validates the efforts made by CAP and all our stakeholders who incorporate this in their daily operations. It serves as a way to a continuous testing of our processes in order to ensure that we are providing the best possible practice of health and safety guidelines.

During this accreditation process, our airport’s Covid-19 measures have been tested as well as the implementation thereof. We are very glad that the best practices we have been implementing from the start of this pandemic, have resulted in acknowledgement via this important accreditation of our airport. Tourists contemplating to visit our island can verify via this accreditation that we have their safety as a high priority and that our airport is a ‘safe zone’ to start and end their travels on Curaçao.

Obtaining this certification is a concrete example of CAP’s commitment to encourage tourism in Curaçao, through the implementation of measures recognized by the most important organizations in the aviation and airport industry worldwide. We are proud of having met this goal and of the recognition received. We can say that we are an accredited airport in health, and we hope you will visit our airport soon to and from Curaçao!

The long, winding, and unpredictable road to the runway

Willemstad, October 18, 2020 – The recovery of commercial passenger traffic gradually restarted in mid-June with the opening of the borders for Dutch Caribbean air service and in July for The Netherlands. The borders remained closed for Curacao’s second largest tourism market the United States and for Colombia and Panama. This due to the risk associated with the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the different countries. With the recovery in its initial stage and showing conservative positive results, the uncertainties surrounding the continuation of passenger traffic growth is highly dependent on the corona virus.

During the months of July, August and September 2020, International Departing Traffic, currently Amsterdam gateway traffic, increased by +75% over June, +98% over July and decreased by -4% over August. The restart of flights from Amsterdam by KLM and TUI, brought mostly VFR, Visiting Friends and Relatives traffic, second homeowners and vacationers seeking peace of mind. KLM has up-gauged equipment from B781 to B777, a 20% increase in seat capacity and additional cargo space. TUI has increased weekly frequencies to six (6) times with the B787.

The borders with the Dutch Caribbean Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and St. Maarten opened for commercial passenger traffic in the middle of June with a substantial increase in VFR and business passenger traffic through the month of July. In July 2020, the Dutch Caribbean market regained 43% of July 2019 inter-island traffic, a very positive trend. Given a large increase of positive COVID-19 cases and local transmissions in July, borders with Aruba and St. Maarten were closed and subsequently in September with Bonaire for commercial passenger traffic. This negatively impacted the connectivity within the islands and our local airline partners.

Air Service remains extremely volatile in the world. The airline industry is expected to lose USD419B in revenues for 2020. According to IATA, International Air Transport Association, the rebound in economic activity, which was historically one of the leading indicators of air travel demand, will have limited impact on passenger volumes unless the pandemic is contained. Widespread reliable testing will be one of the crucial factors for growth in passenger volumes in the near term before the vaccine is developed and distributed.

According to the latest IATA’s passenger survey, willingness to fly remains low. More than half of the respondents plans to travel no sooner than in six (6) months. The risk of compulsory quarantine at destination is one of the key deterrents; 83% of the respondents indicated that they will not travel if there is chance of quarantine after arrival. IATA further stated that there has been a significant change in traveler behavior towards booking trips much closer to the departure date, as travelers remain concerned about unexpected changes in travel restrictions and quarantine requirements.

Airport Council International (ACI) and IATA are strongly advocating a globally consistent approach for testing international passengers as the feasible alternative to quarantine measures, removing the main barrier to a more positive restart of air traffic.

Curacao Airport Partners (CAP) remains cautiously optimistic with minimal traffic recovery for 2020. The strong partnership with current and potential airline partners has been intensified throughout the first months of the pandemic and the trust supports the restart of air service by all current airline partners when the borders reopen for commercial passenger traffic from the respective gateways.

CAP re-forecasted passenger traffic movements (all arriving and departing passengers) for 2020 based on research and current data to be 500,000 which is a decrease of -65% compared to year end 2019 and 34% recovery of 2019 passenger movements.

“Passenger traffic forecasting relies heavily on situations beyond our control” said Paulo Mazzali, CAP co-CEO. “Our traffic volumes and resulting large financial losses caused our team to cut our costs to a minimum for 2020 and in the next few years, and the level of commitment and engagement of our workforce is encouraging. We are sure that our strong cooperation with our airline partners and local tourism, business, and government stakeholders will result in a safe and steady road to recovery, albeit not forecasted as quite robust at this moment”.

WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP) gladly announces that it is has been working on several adjustments to the airport facilities in order to comply with  guidelines established by our local authorities, which will allow our island to once again  welcome travelers. All travelers, whether inbound or outbound, can be assured that a carefully constructed plan has been put in place to safeguard their travel, and the well-being of our airport personnel.

Several necessary adaptations are being made by CAP in order to meet these new guidelines while also maintaining a high-level service for all travelers and airport users. The airport experience must remain an exciting one, where our visitors can genuinely feel the excitement of embarking on their new adventures or visit Curaçao to finally embrace a loved one. That experience must remain a safe, pleasant, and cherished moment, and we are dedicated to ensuring that this experience is remembered as a special moment.

Some modifications have been made in the Check-in Hall; opening hours have been adjusted; passengers only are allowed in the Check-in area; and face covering is required before entering this area. Also, until the situation changes, between each airline check-in counter there will be an empty one to keep an acceptable physical distance between employees and passengers. CAP will also install Plexiglas in front of the airline counters and other passenger touch-points areas, and all employees will be wearing appropriate protection equipment. Additionally, currently only one boarding pass barcode reader will be used to control the flow of passengers in order to maintain the physical distancing guidelines.

At the main security checkpoint, a personal bottle of hand sanitizer is allowed in quantities of 12 ounces (approx. 350 ML) per passenger which is not required to be placed in a ’Ziploc’ bag. All personal belongings such as mobile phones, wallets and keys must not be placed in the bins but must be kept in the carry-on baggage.

Physical distancing guidelines also apply in the entire airport, and passengers are expected to take personal responsibility to manage their association with other travelers in a responsible manner. All restaurants and shops outside the airport and in the Departure Hall have also made the necessary adjustments to their operations to comply with these guidelines.

Throughout the airport you will notice signs that will make you aware of the maintain appropriate physical distancing and observe personal hygiene practices. Our Public Address System, digital screens, and printed messages will remind you to observe the protocols, hand sanitizing dispensers have been placed in designated areas of the airport for the convenience of the passengers, periodic disinfection in all high traffic areas is scheduled, and cleaning protocols are also being intensified.

Passengers are strongly advised to check-in online, to purchase their Passenger Facility Charge (Airport Tax) online via www.curacao-airport.com, and to plan to arrive at the airport with sufficient time to reduce overall congestion. Longer waiting times is expected and we appreciate your patience and understanding until the travel experience returns to normal.

CAP is doing its utmost to keep the airport experience as enjoyable as possible during these unprecedented times while providing all passengers and visitors with a safe and healthy experience, while using our facilities. It is our constant goal to keep providing you an unforgettable experience while using our facilities and airport services.