PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — Flight operations by Winair have been affected by significant delays in recent days, particularly on its Twin Otter services to nearby islands.
Since Wednesday, multiple morning departures were delayed by several hours, with passengers expecting to leave around 7:00 a.m. only departing well into the afternoon. The disruptions continued through Saturday, impacting flights to St. Eustatius, Saba and Saint Barthélemy.
Several passengers contacted BES-Reporter over the past days, pointing to repeated delays and a lack of clear communication from the airline regarding the situation.
On Saturday, a flight to Saba was cancelled after a take-off attempt was aborted when the captain detected an unusual noise from one of the engines. Passengers were subsequently asked to disembark so the aircraft could be inspected.
According to information received, a number of Twin Otter aircraft are currently out of service, contributing to operational challenges. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the recent resignation of several technical staff may be playing a role.
While delays remained visible on Saturday, the situation appeared somewhat stabilised, with most flights departing with shorter delays of around 15 to 20 minutes.
Winair has not issued a public statement regarding the disruptions.
