Treat yourself to Paradise Cdr. Bud Slabbaert, Chairman of the Caribbean Aviation Meetup, 'CARIBAVIA'.

Where does one find a place of idyllic happiness and delight? A pleasant and peaceful environment of pristine and abundant natural beauty, where visitors are clothed in light casual garments and devour the cuisine of bon vivants.

Connoisseurs will immediately recognize that we're speaking of St.Barth - or Saint Barthélemy, as it is officially known, and Ouanalao as it was called by the indigenous Arawak Indians way back when. No other place on Earth could be so nice; the Caribbean, but with a distinctive French charm and accent.

In September I asked a prominent local St.Barthian: “How do things look for the coming months?” His response: “Lots of reservations for hotels, villas, and private accommodations probably booked out!”

It doesn’t need a fortune teller to make such a forecast for St.Barth. Even a pandemic doesn’t stop the loyal visitor clientele from coming. On the contrary, it is the safe getaway that people are longing for. Getaway is not even the right word; Oasis is more like it.

October and November saw tremendous increases in flights to St.Barth’s airport, topping-out at over 25%. Of course, the December holidays are the peak season, making the aerodrome one of the world's busiest one-runway airports, without disturbing the tranquility of the island. It can amount to a plane movement every 90 seconds on a 646 mtr/2.119 ft. airstrip. Sure enough this December 2021, regardless of all the pandemic ballyhoo, St.Barth Airport saw a 23% increase in passenger traffic compared to last year, yet still 8% over the good pre-pandemic year 2019.

St.Barth welcomes guests all year round (with an annual dip in September) and is enhanced by visiting celebrities and tycoons for whom New Year on the island is a firm date in their diaries. Celebrations and parties on the island, as well as onboard the many mega yachts in Gustavia Port (the island capital) make these days memorable.

What makes St.Barth so beloved? It is a precious jewel surrounded by turquoise coastal waters; timeless with exotic grace, and a lifestyle of feeling blessed. St.Barth’s natives calls it “L’art de etre une ile” - the art of being an island.

The 6th annual CARIBAVIA will be held June 14-16, 2022 on St.Maarten/St.Martin. Full details: www.caribavia.org

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 27th January 2022 | Issue #638

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