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34 LOCAL NEWS AWEMainta
Aruba Signs Aviation Agreement with France
RECENTLY, Aruba has signed an air transport agreement
with the Republic of France. This agreement was concluded
and signed in St. Martin after several months of deliberation
and negotiations. The agreement will facilitate air transpor-
tation between France and Aruba, including French territo-
ries in the Caribbean.
Engineer E.F. Kelly, the leader of the Aruban delegation,
explains: “This agreement is of paramount importance for
Aruba. As is known, Aruba’s economy has a high degree of
dependency on tourism. This agreement will pave the way
for potential transatlantic flights between France and Aruba
in the future. In addition to that, this agreement will be a
significant instrument to improve connectivity in our region,
as it will open doors to flights between Aruba and French
territories in our region, such as Martinique, Guadeloupe,
and French Guiana.
This will help alleviate existing connectivity challenges in the
Caribbean region. We express our appreciation to the French
delegation for their goodwill and tremendous cooperation
in reaching this important agreement. Besides the agree-
ment, we have made commitments to cooperate in other
areas of aviation, thereby strengthening ourselves mutually.
We are confident that this agreement will be instrumental in
Diahuebs, 19 October 2023
bringing the people of Aruba and France even closer.”
Mr. E. Vivet, the leader of the French delegation, adds: “We
have met with a highly professional team from Aruba. The
exchanges have been very fruitful. There is a shared vision
between the delegations that the Caribbean region is in need
of increased connection and connectivity.
To stimulate economic activity, tourism, and social interac-
tion between our peoples, our territories rely on long-haul
transatlantic flights but also regional connectivity. That’s
why we focused on both of these aspects. The agreement
we have achieved will offer various options for airlines
from both countries, both for direct and indirect flights in
a balanced and reciprocal manner. We are convinced that
this will bring new opportunities in connecting Aruba and
France. This agreement is truly a step forward and a testa-
ment to the friendship between our two countries.”
Minister of Transport, Mr. Ursell Arends, is extremely pleased
with this achievement. It is the realization of the Ministry
of Transport’s vision to create the appropriate and relevant
infrastructure of air transport agreements to facilitate the
necessary airlift for our tourism and to increase connectivity
in our region.