Many of us have seen those TV shows or videos of the World's Scariest Airports, where short runways, steep approaches or high winds can result in some white-knuckle experiences; think Lukla in Nepal, Maidera in Portugal, Paro in Bhutan, Princess Julia in St Maarten or Juancho E Yrausquin in the Dutch Caribbean. On that list is St Jean Gustaf III Airport (SBH/TFFJ), also known as St Jean, on the . It has a steep approach path and a runway just 646 meters (2,120 feet) long, situated at the foot of a hill and runs onto the St.
Jean's beach. In short, pilots flying into this airport need the skills and the right aircraft to land safely and avoid hitting the steep upward hill or overshooting and crashing into the sea. French VIP airline St.
Barth Executive operates to the airport and last week announced it was now operating its new on the route from Guadeloupe. This Italian aircraft is the latest piston twin on the market. The first flight using the Tecnam P2012 STOL was on August 1, 2024, between Guadeloupe Pointe-à-Pitre International (PTP) and St Jean, operated by St Barth Executive under the AIR INTER ISLES brand.
Flight LE2080 departed PTP at 08:36 and, after a fifty-one-minute flight, landed at St Jean at 09:27. The return service left Saint Barthélemy at 14:33 and arrived in Guadeloupe at 15:30. St Barth Executive President Vincent Beauvarlet said the airline carried out hours of training and pilot releases, which allowed it to test the , which met its specifications perfectly.
He added: "The P2012 lands and takes off perfectly in St Barth and offers us an attractive payload. Finally, we have an air vector that allows us to connect our islands with controlled operating costs." St Barth Executive has two P2012 STOLs, with a third due to arrive in September, and operates this route three times daily, with up to six flights during the high season.
The arrival of the Tecnam service has been eagerly awaited as it connects islands that were previously only accessible by boat, with the P2012 especially suited to the challenging airport. It is well suited to Saint Barthélemy because of its 425-meter (1,395 feet) take-off and 360-meter (1,180 feet) landing distance, coupled with a certified "10 degree (17.5%) ," which gives it outstanding performance over the 646-meter-long (2,120 feet) runway at SBH.
The P2012 has been built with commuters in mind and comfortably seats nine passengers with one or two crew. It is a new-generation turbocharged, twin-engine, high-wing aircraft that brings a new level of comfort and luxury to Caribbean services. Inside, it has premium interiors, in-seat power, more legroom and under-seat stowage.
St Barth Executive is a VIP Charter company that connects the island with the US, the Caribbean and Latin America using a fleet of and now the Tecnam P2012 STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft. It is an EASA-certified French operator based in St Barth with secondary bases in Guadeloupe and St Martin. Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer that was founded more than 75 years ago.
It designs and builds a wide range of aircraft for personal use, commercial operations, business travel, flight training, surveillance, law enforcement and other specialized applications. Tecnam is a global business with headquarters in Capua, Italy and subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida and Brisbane, Australia.
