Aruba, No Matter How You Spin it … the Airport Numbers were Down for 2006

Aruba continues the excuse and play the  spin game with regards to traffic to their airport. We all know that numbers can be manipulated to state any outcome; however, the AAA cannot spin away the fact that 4% less people used the airport in Aruba in 2006 as compared to 2005. It is a remarkable fact that their number continues to go downward. When is a 4% decrease in airport traffic a good thing? When the airport is in Aruba.

In 2006, 1.638.126 passengers used the airport compared with 1.714.523 in 2005; a drop of 4 percent.

Aruba continues to make every excuse as to the reason for the decreases, except for the obvious and most notable one.

There was a slight decrease in the region; Aruba had a forceful decrease.   This can be blamed on the increased room rates of the hotels, the reduced availability of the hotel rooms due to renovations, and the enormous increase of the oil price.  

Aruba believes that if they throw money at the problem that will solve their problem. However, we know different. Justice for Natalee solves their problem. The sooner they figure it out, the sooner Aruba can go on.

Steinmetz anticipates that qua number of passengers, AAA will be back on the level of 2005 in 2007.   A lot of money is going to be invested in the airport on the runway, the runway lighting, the taxiway, the aprons, and the departure hall for travelers to the US .    

Amigoe, May25, 2007:  2006 Was not a bad year for AAA    

ORANJESTAD – Despite the drop in the number of passengers in the first 7 months of 2006, Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) closed the year with the same financial result as in 2005.   The reason for this is that there was an increase in the number of passengers in the last months of 2006 and because of the considerable cut in the operational costs.    

In 2006, 1.638.126 passengers used the airport compared with 1.714.523 in 2005; a drop of 4 percent.   This drop has no effect on the net results.   By increasing the efficiency in order to decrease the operational costs, AAA had a profit of 8.4 million florins; the same net results as achieved in 2005.   The selling of company sectors with a value of 1.23 million florins in included in the net results of 2005, so in fact, we can talk about an increase of the net results in 2005 with 17 percent, says director Peter Steinmetz.    

The developments in the number of passengers in the region were not that same as that in Aruba .   There was a slight decrease in the region; Aruba had a forceful decrease.   This can be blamed on the increased room rates of the hotels, the reduced availability of the hotel rooms due to renovations, and the enormous increase of the oil price.   Steinmetz anticipates that qua number of passengers, AAA will be back on the level of 2005 in 2007.   A lot of money is going to be invested in the airport on the runway, the runway lighting, the taxiway, the aprons, and the departure hall for travelers to the US .    

Steinmetz anticipates that AAA will be able to pay for these investments from her own assets.   We assume that we won’t need financial support from the government.