Saba, a Dutch Caribbean island 28 miles southwest of Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles, has several claims to fame. Its towering volcanic peak, Mt. Scenery, which juts 2,910 feet out of the ocean, is the tallest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
It offers some of the best diving anywhere in the world, and its silhouette was that of Skull Island in the original 1933 movie King Kong. It’s also home to a rather famous road. Called “The Road,” the 8-mile-long windy piece of pavement is the only road on the island.
It begins at the Saba airport, runs up and over the dormant volcano’s peak, and back down the other side of the island. But, back in 2019, I was not interested in visiting the tiny island for any of these reasons. Saba is also home to the shortest commercial airport runway in the world.
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport – The World’s Shortest Commercial Runway
At just 1,312 feet long, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport holds the title for the shortest commercial runway in regular use anywhere in the world. For comparison, the runway at nearby Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten—famous in its own right for being short—measures 7,546 feet. Even the deck of the USS Enterprise, one of the largest aircraft carriers ever built, is only 1,101 feet long—making Saba’s runway just 189 feet longer than a floating airstrip.
Your Journey To Saba Airport Starts at Sint Maarten
Anyone wanting to visit Saba Airport first needs to visit Sint Maarten. Shared by two nations, one-half of the Caribbean island is French (Saint Martin), while the other half is Dutch (Sint Maarten).
The island is well-known in the aviation community as the home of Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), arguably the most famous planespotting location in the world. Just beyond the runway lies Maho Beach–better known as “airplane beach”– where aviation enthusiasts, spotters, and thrill seekers gather to watch jets land just overhead.
Even if you’ve never heard of Saba, chances are you’ve heard of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. Thanks to its size and infrastructure, Sint Maarten and Princess Juliana International Airport serve as the primary hub for nearby islands. Every day, aircraft like Twin Otters, Grand Caravans, and Islanders take off from SXM, connecting smaller islands like Saba and Saint Barthélemy to the rest of the Caribbean.
Winair Is The Carrier To Get There
If you’re heading to Saba, you’re flying with Winair, short for Windward Islands Airways. This government-owned Dutch airline operates daily flights from Sint Maarten to Saba and other nearby islands, using a fleet of rugged De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters.
These aircraft are perfect for this kind of flying. The Twin Otter is legendary for its STOL (short takeoff and landing) performance. It is one of the few planes capable of handling the challenging approach into Saba’s ultra-short runway.
I Traveled on PJ-WIQ
I flew to Saba in 2019 aboard PJ-WIQ, one of Winair’s Twin Otters. At the time, the aircraft was already 43 years old—and more than five years later, it’s still in service (2025 update: the aircraft is still in service). Talk about a workhorse.
The seating on Winair’s Twin Otters is first come, first served, so if you find yourself taking this flight and you want the best seat in the house, just be sure to board first. Row 1 on the Twin Otter is only two feet behind the completely open cockpit, and sitting in row 1 gives you incredible views directly out of the cockpit windows.
Flying to Saba Airport
The flight from Sint Maarten to Saba is very short, taking only 12 minutes from wheels up to wheels down. SXM’s 7,546-foot runway feels enormous compared to the 1,312 feet you’ll land on at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport.
Saba Airport is located on the only flat surface the island offers. The runway is flanked by sheer drop-offs on each side, so there is no room for error when operating here. As such, Winair’s pilots are required to have a special endorsement on their license before they are allowed to operate flights in or out of the airport.
Once the island’s unmissable silhouette fills the cockpit windows, you turn east to line up with the runway, and the pilots carefully approach, touching down as close to the threshold as possible.
Reverse thrust is immediately applied to the Twin Otter’s powerful engines, and the pilots slam the brakes hard. It is truly amazing how little space the Twin Otter needs to slow down and stop. The crew then performs a 180 on the narrow runway and back taxis to the small terminal building, which has just enough room for two aircraft at a time.
Departing Saba Airport – An Epic Ride
Departures are just as thrilling. The crew uses every inch of runway. As the plane turns to face the wind, you’ll see sheer drop-offs on both sides. Brakes on. Full power. Then, the release—and in less than 20 seconds, you’re airborne and watching the island disappear behind you.
There is very little time to abort the takeoff at Saba, as the end of the runway will be under the main gear in less than 20 seconds.
Take The Same Flight I did
There’s very little I can do to convey the thrill of flying in and out of Saba using words. So, I invite you to watch the 10-minute video I’ve put together, which is attached to this article. In the video, I show parts of Saba, but more importantly, I show the arrival and departure footage I captured in 2019. Both are shown from the cockpit view and the passenger cabin view.
Why You Should Visit Saba
Visiting Saba ended up being one of the most memorable places I’ve ever visited—and not just because I’m an aviation enthusiast who wanted to fly to the world’s shortest commercial airport runway. I spent that whole day there, and it was truly a wonderful place.
The locals were incredibly friendly and welcoming and truly loved sharing information about their little island. Still to this day, it is one of my favorite places that I’ve ever visited.
If you ever have a chance to visit Sint Maarten, carve out at least a day to fly to Saba. Once you land, simply ask any of the taxi drivers to give you the grand tour, and they’ll happily show you every corner of their island.
