St. Barts. One of the coolest airports on the planet.
If you are an aviation geek, SBH is basically Mecca. And the main way to get there? Winair.
I’ve been there. Done that.
You can’t expect champagne flutes or heated meals on a ten-minute flight. That’s silly. But there’s more to this airline than just short hops. They serve unique routes. They have history. And honestly, they do it well.
The Fleet That Makes Stunts Possible
Winair. Short for Windward Islands Airways International.
They operate out of Sint Maarten (SXM). Primarily owned by the Dutch government there, with a little slice held by the central Netherlands government. They’ve been flying since 1961. That is serious tenure.
The fleet is tiny. Efficient.
- Four ATR 42-600s. Seats 48 people.
- Five DHC-6 Twin Otters. Seats 19 people.
These planes go places most commercial jets fear to tread.
The 20-mile run to St. Barts is legendary. Pilots hate landing there. It’s steep. It’s tricky. Then there’s Saba. That airport has the world’s shortest public-use runway. One thousand, three hundred, twelve feet of pavement. Nothing else. Winair flies there regularly.
They also connect you to Antigua. Aruba. Curaçao. Tortola.
Winair operates to the most dangerous landing strips in the Caribbean with zero fatal accidents in their entire history.
Safety Record That Actually Matters
New to the island? You might be worried.
“Is it safe to fly in this small plane?”
The answer is yes. In fact, it might be safer than you think. Winair hasn’t had a fatal crash in 65 years. Considering the terrain, that’s not bad.
Regulation-wise, they answer to Sint Maarten’s Civil Aviation Department. Not Europe. Not the US FAA. Local authority. But the record speaks for itself.
The Actual Experience: Don’t Be Polite
So how is the ride?
Check-in at SXM is chaotic. You’ll be standing next to the big airline counters. If you are just connecting, stay airside if you already have your boarding pass. Otherwise, you get stuck in immigration. Boring.
Baggage limits are strict. These are small planes. There is no cargo hold hidden behind your back. Pack light. Or pack smarter.
One good trick: they are surprisingly lenient with standby tickets. Flying to St. Barts? Missed your connection? Show up earlier. Sit around. If seats are open, you get on. Easy.
Boarding? First come, first served.
Open seating. That’s it. If you want the window right behind the cockpit—the “hot seat”—you need to hustle. Be pushy. The front row is pure theater. No wall between you and the pilots. You see every lever they pull. Non-pilots take pictures. Avgeeks lose their minds.
Service? Indifferent.
The ground staff aren’t hostile. They are just… neutral. They don’t smile for you. They process the ticket. That is all. Don’t bring luxury expectations. This isn’t Tradewind Aviation.
The view is the only amenity you really care about anyway.
Points and Money: Not a Treasure Trove
Can you earn miles?
Sort of. No Winair frequent flyer program. Independent airline.
But they play nice with Air France-KLM. Specifically, Flying Blue.
You can book awards with miles. The availability is wide open. Why? Because it’s expensive. And kind of pointless.
Redeeming a one-way ticket costs between 14,00 and 33,50 miles. Add $100 in taxes and you have spent a fortune to save… nothing. Maybe one cent per mile in value. Usually less.
If you have the cash, just pay cash. Keep your miles for something with actual value.
Final Thoughts
Winair is useful. It’s safe. It gets you to the beautiful islands when nobody else can.
If things go right, it’s great. If things go wrong—mechanical issues, bad weather—the reports suggest customer service crumbles. I haven’t seen it yet. I guess I’m lucky.
Do you care about polite check-in agents? You will hate it.
Do you want to see a pilot thread a needle into a mountainside? You will love it.
Take the plane. Don’t expect help. Just look out the window.
