Leaving St Barths starts with the same short crossing in reverse: 32 km from the 646 m runway at Gustaf III to Princess Juliana on St Maarten, where the long-range jet waits. No jet can take off from St Barths, so the first leg is a small turboprop of the Caravan, Twin Otter or PC-12 class with a specially approved crew, or a helicopter on request. The useful thing is to book both legs together, so the hop lands in time for the jet and the luggage arrives with you.
| Airport | IATA / ICAO | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Barths, Gustaf III | SBH / TFFJ | departure · 32 km to SXM | Runway 10/28 of 646 m, concrete. Jets do not land here: only small turboprops of the Caravan, Twin Otter or PC-12 class, flown by crews holding the special approval St Barths requires. |
| Princess Juliana International, St Maarten | SXM / TNCM | arrival | St Maarten's main airport and the usual jet gateway for St Barths. Runway 10/28, 2,300 m. |
Source: OurAirports (airports and runways, retrieved 3 October 2026), great-circle. Runway length at St Barths and at Tortola also checked against a second published source.
| Class | Example | St Barths runway, 646 m | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small turboprop | Caravan, Twin Otter, PC-12 class | Yes, with a crew holding the St Barths approval | longer than 23 min |
| Light jet | Phenom 300 | No: jets do not land at St Barths | – |
| Midsize and larger jets | Citation XLS+, Challenger 605 | No | – |
The 23 min figure for 32 km is our jet-speed model; a turboprop takes longer, and the quote shows the planned schedule.
Caravan, Twin Otter or PC-12 class, flown by a crew with the special approval St Barths requires. Sized to a small party; tell us the luggage with the headcount.
Ask for options ›Over 32 km a helicopter is a real alternative to the turboprop. Offered in writing against your date; no helicopter price is published here.
Helicopters ›When the party or the luggage needs a jet, the jet lands at St Maarten (SXM) and the last 32 km is a separate hop, booked with it.
Miami to St Barths ›No figure is printed. We found no charter broker's published price for this pair to reprint under the section's rule, and the jet rates published elsewhere do not apply to a turboprop or helicopter hop. Every quote we send is in US dollars, for the whole aircraft, and the price includes our service fee.
| When | What happens | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| Early January | The days after New Year are when most visitors leave at once, and the small aircraft are busiest. | Fix the hop and the jet out of SXM together, before the holiday starts. |
| March and April | The end of the winter season brings another wave of departures. | A morning hop leaves room for the jet's departure from SXM later in the day. |
Your dates and group size for St Maarten.