Council of Ministers Met With PJIAE Managing Director --- One year Contract is a transitional contract.

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Philipsburg:--- The Council of Ministers met with the Managing Director of Princess Juliana International Airport Regina Labega on Tuesday morning in order to gather information regarding the concerns of the concessionaires. SMN News learnt that several contracts that were granted to the concessionaires expired on July 1, 2012 and the new Managing Director of PJIAE decided to grant the concessionaires a one year contract while negotiations continue for a contract that will last for a period of six years. Labega also dispelled the notion that management of PJIAE have been discussing with a Mexican company to build a high end mall. She told the Council of Ministers that the new contract that will be granted to the concessionaires will bring more revenues and business to the Airport.
A source within the government apparatus said that the concessionaires that are occupying the restaurant section of the Airport do not have to worry because their contracts are up in 2014. However, some of operators that are operating in the Food Court area were given termination letters because they failed to live up to the terms of agreement in their contract. It is estimated that the concessionaires owe the Airport somewhere between 14 million to 20 million United States Dollars in operational costs.
The source further explained that while the disgruntled concessionaires that owes the PJIAE millions of dollars said they are getting the support of the Airlines, not one of the Airlines have come forward with complaints thus far. Labega told the Council of Ministers that she did not receive any complaint neither did she meet with any of the airlines.
SMN News reported last week that a closed door meeting was held with the Airlines and Airport management sometime last week where they presented the management of PJIAE with an ultimatum regarding the airport's operational costs but Labega told the Council of Ministers no such meetings ever took place, this was also confirmed by the President of the St. Maarten Airline and Handlers Association (SAHA) Walter Borel. Borel told SMN News that he contacted all the other managers of the other Airlines and none of them met with the PJIAE management. He said as a representative of Air France/KLM he personally did not meet with PJIAE and has since distanced himself from the conflict currently taking place between PJIAE management and the concessionaires.
Some members of the Council of Ministers met with the Airport Concessionaires Association last week to gather information on their grievances prior to inviting Labega to Tuesday's meeting. A follow up meeting was to be held with the concessionaires on Tuesday afternoon but that meeting had to be postponed. SMN News further learnt that the Council of Ministers is currently organizing a meeting with the concessionaires which will be held sometime this week.