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Travel between St. Thomas and St. Maarten is about to get easier.
Contour Airlines will launch nonstop service between Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas and Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten on Oct. 5, 2026. The new route will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using 30 seat regional jets. The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism confirmed the service in July.
The first flight from St. Maarten is scheduled to arrive in St. Thomas at 2:10 p.m. Monday. Officials from the U.S. Virgin Islands plan to mark the arrival with a water salute and welcome ceremony at Cyril E. King Airport.
Contour adds a new Caribbean connection
Contour’s new route gives travelers a direct option between two popular Caribbean destinations.
On Mondays, flights will leave St. Thomas at 11:35 a.m. and reach St. Maarten at 12:30 p.m. The return flight is scheduled to depart St. Maarten at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in St. Thomas at 2:10 p.m.
Friday service will leave St. Thomas at 12:35 p.m. and arrive in St. Maarten at 1:35 p.m. The return flight will depart at 2:30 p.m. and reach St. Thomas at 3:25 p.m.
The flight time is about an hour. That makes the route useful for travelers planning short visits or combining both islands in one Caribbean trip.
What the new route means for travelers
The new service adds another option for leisure and business travel between the islands.
It also makes multi island trips simpler. Travelers can visit St. Maarten before heading to St. Thomas, or build the route into a wider Caribbean itinerary.
For St. Thomas, the connection adds another regional route through Cyril E. King Airport. St. Maarten also gains another direct link through Princess Juliana International Airport.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism said the new service could support tourism, business and cultural exchange. The route also gives local hotels, restaurants, tour operators and retailers another opportunity to serve visitors arriving from a nearby Caribbean destination.
St. Thomas prepares for the first flight
Contour announced the route in July as part of its wider Caribbean expansion. The airline already operates regional service from St. Thomas, including a connection with Dominica.
The new St. Thomas to St. Maarten service begins just as the Caribbean moves toward its busy winter travel period.
For travelers looking to combine destinations, the timing could make the new route especially useful. Two islands that already attract visitors for their beaches, food, culture and waterfront areas will soon have a direct air link between them.
The first flight arrives in St. Thomas on Oct. 5. From there, the twice weekly schedule will give residents and visitors another way to move around the northeastern Caribbean.
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