It’s been six years, but the new departure terminal at Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten is opening soon. 

This November, the new Departure Hall at Princess Juliana is officially launching operations, a major milestone for an airport that was largely destroyed by Hurricane Irma back in 2017. 

The new departure hall is a “brand-new and state-of-the-art airport environment,” airport officials said in a statement. And yes — it will include 

“We’re thrilled to announce that the new Departure Hall at Princess Juliana International Airport is set to open by November 1st, 2023,” the airport said in a statement. 

For several years since reopening post-Irma, the airport has been relying on an often-cramped temporary facility. 

The new departure hall, complete with a terrazzo floor, will boast what officials called an “impressive interior design,” including “cutting-edge amenities, spacious waiting areas, advanced security checkpoints, and streamlined boarding processes,” along with new airport stores. 

Princess Juliana is also set to debut a newly-built temporary arrival facility, with immigration counters, a baggage claim area and customs facilities. 

Its part of a multi-phased reconstruction of the entire airport. 

That includes the new departure hall, followed by a new check-in hall, set to open in December 2023, followed by an upgraded Arrival Hall. 

Completion of the arrival hall is slated for the second quarter of 2024, “in time for summer travel.”

St Maarten’s airport is among the most important in the Caribbean, both for the island’s abundant tourism industry and its place as a regional hub.