As Joost Meijs will be stepping down as CEO of Aruba Airport
Authority N.V. in the summer of 2024, the six airports in the Dutch Caribbean have appointed Jonny
Andersen, CEO of Curacao Airport Partners N.V., as the next chairperson of the Dutch Caribbean
Cooperation of Airports (DCCA). This decision was taken unanimously in the DCCA’s collective
meeting of March 11, 2024. Joost Meijs has served as chairperson since the establishment of the
DCCA in 2021.
Since its establishment the six airports in the Dutch Caribbean are cooperating more intensively
through exchanging knowledge, performing safety and security audits, and working closely with other
stakeholders on an improved connectivity (affordable, efficient, and sustainable) between the Dutch
Caribbean islands. DCCA serves as a central point of contact in the Dutch Caribbean for important
aviation industry stakeholders. The DCCA wants to improve the connectivity between the islands and
sees the Dutch Caribbean as perfectly positioned to become a front runner in the world of new
sustainable ways of flying.
Every year the DCCA organizes with the help of the host airport the convention “A Flight to the
Future”; In 2022 the convention was held for the first time in Aruba. During this edition the first electric
aircraft ever took off into the Caribbean airspace. In 2023 Curacao Airport gave a follow up and
organized the second edition of the convention with an impressive drone demonstration. On 18 and
19 November 2024 the third edition will be held in St Maarten. During these conventions the whole
aviation eco-system in the Dutch Caribbean come together to discuss ambitions, actual topics and
new trends and innovations in the (regional) aviation industry.
Joost Meijs, departing chairperson: “I would like to thank my colleague CEOs of all six islands and
other stakeholders for the inspiring collaboration in the last years. It is great to see and entertain all
the ambitions that the airports have, and I am sure that by an open collaboration we jointly can lift the
airport sector in the Dutch Caribbean to new heights. Jonny Andersen is a seasoned international
aviation professional, and I have all the confidence in the world that he will lead the DCCA with
enthusiasm, energetically and with the highest level of professionalism”.
Jonny Andersen, the incoming chairperson, extends his heartfelt appreciation to Joost Meijs for his
visionary and outstanding leadership of the Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports
(DCCA). Under Joost's guidance, the DCCA has become the voice of the Dutch Caribbean airports,
representing the common interests of the six airports to governments, island communities, airline
partners, and other stakeholders.
"On behalf of all six Dutch Caribbean airports, I want to thank Joost for bringing us together and for
his visionary leadership," Mr. Andersen said. "It is truly an honor to assume the role of Chair of the
DCCA, and I am committed to continuing the work that Joost and the six DCCA airports have started.
Together, we will further develop the Dutch Caribbean aviation sector, enhancing its safety,
connectivity, ease of travel, sustainability, and relevance for the region.
Air connectivity, affordability, and ease of travel between the Dutch Caribbean islands will be among
my highest priorities during my tenure as Chair of the DCCA. Currently, many find it too expensive
and time-consuming to fly between islands, sometimes taking half a day or longer to travel between
sister islands. This is a significant concern. We need to make air travel a viable option for our
communities again. As a sector, we must do whatever we can to make inter-island travel more
accessible, affordable, and convenient for the benefit of everyone in the Dutch Caribbean. As Chair of
the DCCA, my goal is to make this a reality."