SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – The Government of St. Maarten, as the Shareholder of
the Princess Juliana International Airport Holding Company N.V. (PJIAH), has confirmed the
nomination of Keith Franca to serve as Managing Director of PJIAH, as put forward by the
entity’s Supervisory Board.
Franca’s appointment was effective Wednesday March 9th, 2022. As Managing Director of
PJIAH, Franca will be protecting the shareholder’s interests in one of the country’s main
assets and its vital port of entry.
He will be monitoring the airport’s future developments which include its corporate
governance trajectory, the execution of the airport’s reconstruction and its long-term
interests and overall sustainability. In addition, Franca will endeavor to align the missions,
visions, and objectives of PJIAE, PJIAH, and Government.
Franca will be stepping into the role of Managing Director with 35 years of Senior
Management experience, including positions as Managing Director of the St. Maarten
Development Fund Foundation, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Harbor Holding
Company, N.V. and Managing Director of the St. Maarten Port Authority. He has also been
Asset and General Manager of four Sint Maarten resort hotels over a 13-year period.
Confirming Franca’s appointment, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation
and Telecommunication Hon. Roger Lawrence stated, “We are currently at a critical
juncture with regards to our economic recovery. The success of the airport is fundamental
to our economic rehabilitation. I look forward to Keith Franca’s new approach to PJIAH and
to encompass it into the ministry’s overall vision for St. Maarten.”
Speaking on his plans for the PJIA Holding Company, Franca said that his first order of
business will be to meet with key internal and external airport stakeholders. He said, “The
airport is an intricate machinery that serves as a crucial piece of the country’s economy, the
immediate priority is to ensure that the airport has the necessary resources to continue to
contribute to country St. Maarten in an efficient and effective manner that serves the
shareholder and people of St. Maarten.”