A growing number of Caribbean trips now start with a connection in St. Maarten. You land at Princess Juliana International Airport, walk a few gates over, and board a smaller regional aircraft headed to places like Tortola, Dominica, Nevis or St. Barth. Winair has become one of the airlines driving that traffic across the northeastern Caribbean, and now the carrier is adding another U.S. airline partner to feed passengers into its network.
Winair has announced a new interline partnership with U.S.-based Contour Airlines, a move that expands booking and connection options between the United States and the Caribbean through St. Maarten.
The agreement means Contour Airlines passengers will now be able to book itineraries that connect directly onto Winair-operated regional flights, creating smoother travel between the U.S. mainland and a broad network of Caribbean destinations.
The move also strengthens Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten as a regional gateway, particularly for travelers continuing on to smaller Caribbean islands that often require multiple flight segments.
It’s also part of a growing network of partnerships for Contour.
What the New Partnership Means for Travelers
The biggest immediate change is easier connectivity between Contour’s U.S. routes and Winair’s Caribbean network.
Travelers flying on Contour Airlines will now be able to connect onward through St. Maarten onto Winair flights serving destinations across the northeastern Caribbean basin. That includes islands where nonstop service from the mainland United States is still limited or unavailable.
The partnership also improves routing to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with travelers across Winair’s network gaining additional connection opportunities through Contour Airlines bookings.
For passengers, interline agreements typically mean fewer separate reservations, coordinated baggage handling between airlines and more streamlined connections during regional travel.
That has become increasingly important in the Caribbean, where travelers often combine multiple carriers to reach smaller islands.
A Bigger Role for St. Maarten
St. Maarten has steadily re-emerged as one of the Caribbean’s most important aviation hubs following the airport’s post-Irma reconstruction and terminal redevelopment.
Winair has continued to position the island at the center of its regional strategy, adding partnerships designed to connect international travelers deeper into the Caribbean.
“This partnership represents another important milestone in expanding our network reach,” said Winair CEO Hans van de Velde. “By collaborating with Contour Airlines, we are making it easier for travelers to connect through St. Maarten and explore more destinations within our region.”
Contour Airlines recently launched service to Princess Juliana International Airport, adding another U.S. carrier presence at the airport as demand for Caribbean travel continues to grow.
“We are excited for our new partnership with Winair,” said Ben Munson, President of Contour Airlines. “Contour passengers will now have the ability to connect onto Winair’s impressive network beyond St. Maarten throughout the Caribbean.”
Why Regional Connectivity Is Becoming More Important
The Caribbean aviation landscape has increasingly centered on hub-style connections instead of point-to-point flying, particularly for secondary islands.
Airlines like Winair play a major role in linking islands that do not have enough demand for large aircraft or nonstop mainland routes. Partnerships with U.S. carriers allow those regional networks to become easier to book and more visible to travelers searching flights online.
For destinations like Saba, Statia, Tortola, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, those partnerships can significantly reduce travel complexity.
The agreement also comes as airlines continue expanding Caribbean capacity ahead of another strong winter tourism season, with carriers focusing heavily on connection efficiency and regional feed traffic.
Contour’s Caribbean Expansion Continues
Contour Airlines has been gradually expanding its Caribbean footprint, with St. Maarten becoming one of its newest regional additions.
The carrier is known primarily for operating regional jet service within the United States, particularly to underserved markets, but the airline has been adding more Caribbean flying as demand grows for smaller-scale leisure routes.
Its new relationship with Winair immediately gives Contour customers access to one of the Caribbean’s most extensive inter-island networks through a single connection point.
Caribbean Journal Staff
2026-05-11 16:01:00