ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Aruba has opened a new airport terminal for private jets in a bid to attract more upscale travelers to the Dutch Caribbean island.
The new terminal, which officially opened Friday, replaces a makeshift terminal that Aruba Airport Authority N.V. installed to begin offering faster service for private planes in 2005.
The US$1.2 million (euro880,000) facility, which has its own customs and immigration counters, is operated by Houston, Texas-based Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. under an agreement with the airport authority.
Peter Steinmetz, managing director of the Queen Beatrix International Airport, said the number of flights increased 21 percent in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the same period last year.
Tourism Minister Edison Briesen said last week that Aruba was recovering from the negative publicity surrounding the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in 2005 and is on track for a good tourism year.
