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4 min.
About six months after the official incorporation and launch of Future Islands, we were already in the fortunate position to organize our first official webinar, titled “Opportunities to make the Caribbean more sustainable”. This was something we looked forward to a lot, and we want to specially thank our distinguished guest speakers Mr. Joost Meijs, CEO at the Aruba Airport Authority, and Dr. Craig Lee Martin, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the world-renowned TU (Technical University) Delft for their valuable contributions. Besides that, a big Caribbean thank you to all of those who tuned in to help make this first Future Islands webinar a success and a major motivation for us to keep working on such content.
As a way of highlighting the wisdom and the experiences that were shared during the webinar, we have decided to publish a series of quick recaps. In this second instalment, we’re looking back at Mr. Joost Meijs’ presentation about the current state and future aspirations of Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport in terms of sustainability and safety, and the challenges ahead for inter-island aviation in the region.
Becoming a reference in the region
As the foundation for his presentation, Joost introduced listeners of the webinar to the Aruba Airport Authority NV’s so-called strategic dashboard, based on the company’s corporate strategy for the period 2022 – 2026. This was an excellent starting point, as it immediately underlined the emphasis the organization is currently putting on the importance of combining economic growth goals with sustainable practices and a focus on safety for all. The aspiration for the airport, as stated by Joost himself, is to become “one of the most sustainable, safe and future-proof airports of the Latin American and Caribbean region, providing a trusted workplace, modern airport facilities and excellent customer service which reflects Aruban hospitality, contributing to a prosperous future for Aruba”.
The airport is planning to achieve its ambitious goals for both the Dutch Caribbean and the wider Caribbean region by working with four broad pillars revolving around people (and the company’s working environment), service (with regard to all stakeholders), innovation (with a focus on digital and process transformation) and sustainability (combined with social responsibility). These include objectives like making inter-island air traffic better accessible for locals, encouraging its aviation partners to operate in a more sustainable way, and developing and implementing the commercial plan “Commerce Program 2023 and Beyond” in order to optimize current points of revenues, just to give a few examples.
Affordable and sustainable aviation in the Dutch Caribbean
Of course, considering Future Islands’ primary focus on the Caribbean Netherlands, Joost also spoke about the challenges and opportunities that exist in the region in terms of aviation. As we mentioned earlier, much of the Aruba Airport Authority’s focus is on changing the paradigm of inter-island connectivity for the region. Improving interconnectivity between the islands could, for example, stimulate local labor markets, enhance family and social networks, and promote internal trade, all of which would contribute to a more self-sufficient and shock-proof Dutch Caribbean. In order to achieve these goals, Aruba Airport has connectivity, affordability and sustainability as leading principles. Particularly interesting was Joost’s explanation of how and why the Caribbean Netherlands possess all the necessary characteristics to be a trailblazer in electric aviation, not just regionally but even globally.
It's therefore no coincidence that on from November 6to 12, 2022, AAA NV in collaboration with Saba Airport, St. Eustatius Airport, Bonaire Airport, St. Maarten Airport and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management will be holding an official Sustainable Aviation Event, featuring expert speakers from all over the world.
“Inter-island connectivity must transition in the coming years from a pure commercial driven product towards a more sustainable and affordable product”, says Mr. Meijs, “We are going to create a public transport system between the islands”.
For more information about the sustainability efforts of Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport, you can always get in touch with Future Islands here. We are more than happy to provide more info and to refer you to experts on the matter!
