SIMPSON BAY - Princess Juliana International Airport remains closed until Monday afternoon 12:00 PM following the incident with a WestJet aircraft on Sunday. A recovery team from the airline is coming to remove the aircraft from the runway.
The WestJet flight from Toronto made an emergency landing on Sunday after its landing gear collapsed. All 164 occupants safely exited the aircraft. The Boeing 737-800 is now blocking the runway and must first be removed before air traffic can resume.
Flights cancelled and diverted
The airport closure has caused major disruptions to air traffic. A Delta and JetBlue flight had to divert to San Juan, Puerto Rico. A KLM and American Airlines flight are stranded at the airport as they cannot depart.
Delta has cancelled its flight. JetBlue is planning a new departure at 11:22 PM, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Investigation and recovery
The runway remains closed for thorough investigation by aviation authorities and the safe removal of the aircraft. After removing the plane, SXM Civil Aviation must still inspect the runway before flights can resume.
