DCCA: A Flight to the Future – Day 1 Kick Off

Memorandum of Understanding signed between Dutch Caribbean islands, and The Netherlands.
Parties share a vision on improving interisland connectivity by making it more affordable, efficient, and sustainable.
ORANJESTAD – This morning at the Hyatt Regency Resort Spa & Casino Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports’ 1st International Sustainable Air Transportation event – A Flight to the Future – was opened. In-person and virtual participants to the event were welcomed by the Minister of Transport, Integrity, Nature and Senior Affairs Ursell Arends, followed by Mrs. Brigit Gijsbers, Director General Aviation and Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands and by the Chairman of DCCA, Mr. Joost Meijs, CEO of Aruba Airport. The main theme for this first day was Discovering the undiscovered focusing on the future of Sustainable Aviation. The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Jorge Rosillo, Corporación América and CEO of the Cargo Terminal of Ecuador, TCE and the Galapagos Ecological Airport, the 1st ecological airport in the world. Mr. Rafael Echevarne, Director General of Airports Council International of the Latin America and Caribbean, and Mrs. Marieke Smit, Program Manager Sustainable Aviation at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands also gave a presentation on the roadmap to e-flight.

An historical milestone was reached at the start of this morning’s event with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the six Dutch Caribbean islands, the Netherlands, the six airports of the Dutch Caribbean and the Dutch Association of Airports (NVL). This MOU mainly empowers these islands to explore and establish affordable, efficient, and sustainable air connectivity between Curacao, Aruba, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba and, more specifically, to explore and stimulate the use of emission-free powered flights to execute the aforementioned air connectivity. A total of 15 dignitaries of the 6 island nations and The Netherlands expressed their commitment to the memorandum and agreed on forming a steering committee and action group working on a Joint Business Plan how this ambition can be established. This business plan will be delivered within seven months of signing the MOU.

The upcoming conference days will focus on interesting and important sustainability topics within the following main topics: Built for Experience focusing on Sustainable Tourism, Pushing the limits: changing the Future focusing on Sustainable Airport Operations, Reality Check focusing on current Research and Investments, and Connecting Generations, which will give the local community the chance to experience the Pipistrel Velis Electro up close.

Free virtual registrations are still available for the event which will be live streamed via www.dccaairports.com/live on November 7 through November 11, 2022. For more information on the event and virtual registration, please visit our DCCA website www.dccaairports.com.

Date: November 7, 2022