Amigoe: Aruba sees Fewer airline passengers in second quarter. What a shock!

The continuation of the declining tourism in Aruba was confirmed again when it was Arub Airport reported that fewer airline passengers arrived in Aruba for the second quarter. The number of American airline passengers to Aruba for the first 6 months to Aruba was 11.5%.

ARUBA – Compared to the second quarter of last year, 5 percent less people traveled via the airport of Aruba, but the number of flights increased with 11 percent.

Compared with last year, the drop in passengers in the first six months of this year was 9 percent and the number of flights increased with 4 percent. The number of passengers from the US dropped with 11.5 percent and from Europe with 11.5 percent. The number of passengers from Colombia increased with 14.3 percent and from the Neth. Antilles with 9.6 percent.

AAA, Aruba Airport Authority, hopes that Jet Blue starting in September will bring more passengers to Aruba. Don’t hold your breathe. Aruba is counting on a discount airline to bring airline passengers to an island where the AHATA has stated they wanted to to to a more “quality over quantity” approach. That makes no sense. Then again, nothing lately in Aruba has.

Airline Company JetBlue announced that effective September 16^th, it will start daily flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. AAA hopes that with this airlink, more tourists will come to Aruba this fall.

Is it any wonder why these numbers are continuing? Maybe because Aruba refuses to examine the root issue as to their problem. There must be an awfully good reason why a country built on tourism would rather take such a hit financially than come out with the truth as to what happened to Natalee Holloway.

Aruba is presently taking part in a value judgment in their decision. Tourism down by 11.5% from the US vs. truth regarding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. For Aruban officials to continue to let the tourism slide to continue … the truth must be even worse.

Full Amigoe article; July 25, 2006

Fewer passengers in second quarter

ARUBA – Compared to the second quarter of last year, 5 percent less people traveled via the airport of Aruba, but the number of flights increased with 11 percent.

Compared with last year, the drop in passengers in the first six months of this year was 9 percent and the number of flights increased with 4 percent. The number of passengers from the US dropped with 11.5 percent and from Europe with 11.5 percent. The number of passengers from Colombia increased with 14.3 percent and from the Neth.Antilles with 9.6 percent.

Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) indicated that the increase of the number of flights is especially attributed to the increasing number of private-planes via General Aviation. Compared with the second quarter of 2005, the number of private airplanes increased with 74 percent.

Other reasons for the increased number of flights are that Arkefly increased her flights from Amsterdam, Continental from La Guardia, and Avianca and DAE that also increased their number of flights. Also the launching of Tiara is noticeable in the figures.

Airline Company JetBlue announced that effective September 16^th, it will start daily flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. AAA hopes that with this airlink, more tourists will come to Aruba this fall.