WILLEMSTAD - Following recent legal proceedings initiated by Z Air against the country of Sint Maarten due to delays in issuing a permit for the airline, Winair is now filing several lawsuits against the country of Curaçao. 

The reason for these lawsuits is that Curaçao has so far refused to grant permission for additional flights that Winair wants to operate, particularly between Sint Maarten and Curaçao. Winair believes that, based on the multilateral protocol between the islands and the Netherlands, they are entitled to conduct these flights. 

Curaçao's reluctance is linked to the fact that the government of Sint Maarten is also creating obstacles for Z Air, which operates from Curaçao and Bonaire. 

Minister Charles Cooper of VVRP previously stated that he values reciprocity highly. According to the minister, it is unacceptable for Winair to fly between the islands without hindrance while Sint Maarten makes it difficult for airlines based on one of the other islands to obtain permission. 

Skepticism 

In Curaçao, there is skepticism about the fact that Winair is largely owned by the country of Sint Maarten and appears to be taking a protectionist stance to safeguard Winair’s interests as much as possible. 

The lawsuits are scheduled to be heard on July 25 and August 2.