Z Air launches jet service between Curaçao and St. Maarten, challenging Winair’s dominance

St Maarten: In a significant development, Z Air officially launched its inaugural flight on the Curaçao–St. Maarten route on July 14, 2025, marking a new chapter in regional connectivity. According to the information, the maiden flight was welcomed with a water canon salute as it touched down at Princess Juliana International Airport around 11 a.m. 

The launch of the services has officially kicked off a thrice weekly service on this route, providing services on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These round-trip flights are set to depart Curaçao at 8:15 am, arriving St Maarten at 11 am.  

As the flight landed at the airport, the tourism officials called it a ‘soft launch’ saying that it reflects Z Air’s strategy to ramp up to daily service after a second Embraer aircraft will join the fleet in a few weeks. 

Officials further said that Z Air continues to expand its flight network, providing more people the opportunity to experience the treasures of the beloved islands.  

To mark the inaugural flight, a pleasant ceremony took place with speeches delivered on behalf of the Government of Curaçao by Kimberly Lew-Jen-Tai, Minister of Governance, Planning, and Public Services; Rene Winkel, CEO of Z Air; Michael Hohenberger, COO of Curaçao Airport Partners; and Julian Diaz de Pool, Commercial Manager of Curaçao Airport Holding. 

Later, Minister Lew-Jen-Tai, Minister Shalten Hato, and Hugo Clarinda, Deputy Director of the Curaçao Tourist Board, together with representatives of Curaçao Airport Holding and the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning, presented a commemorative plaque to Winkel of Z Air. The plaque featured a nighttime illustration of the Queen Emma Bridge and Handelskade. Following the official ceremony, the first flight departed for St. Maarten accompanied by the sound of fire truck sirens at the Curaçao airport. 

The St. Maarten–Curaçao route is being seen as a bold move within a historically challenging market. Tourism officials say that Z Air has now officially entered a competitive field dominated by Winair which is a long-established St Maarten based airline presently operating around 15 flights every week between both islands.  

On the other hand, Z Air is launching with just three weekly flights and aims to differentiate itself with jet aircraft that reduce travel time significantly and also enhance passenger comfort.  

Notably, the route between both the islands has long been underserved in terms of jet connectivity as most existing carriers nowadays rely on turboprop aircraft. With these services, Z Air’s Embraer is promising to cut down travel time by almost an hour as compared to traditional services and offer a faster and smoother journey which the airline anticipates will appeal both leisure and business travellers. 

As of now, Winair remains Z Air’s primary competitor on this route as the incumbent’s reliability along with its brand familiarity and established collaborations pose major advantages, but this new airline is banking on the passenger appeal of jet service as well as fast journey times to make out a share of the market.