St Barth Commuter
A Swiss-headquartered scheduled operator providing short inter-island flights around Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin with small turboprop aircraft.
About St Barth Commuter
St Barth Commuter operates under the IATA code PV and ICAO code PTI, with PrivatAir identified as its legal name and Switzerland as its headquarters country. Its scheduled operation is focused on very short Caribbean sectors rather than the broader charter and business-aviation services historically associated with the PrivatAir name. The airline’s small scale gives it the character of a specialist regional commuter carrier.
Saint Barthélemy is the airline’s busiest departure point, followed by Saint Martin and Sint Maarten. The network comprises four routes linking three destinations across three countries: Saint Barthélemy, the French-side airport serving Saint Martin, and Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side. These services provide practical links between nearby islands and connect passengers with larger regional and international flight networks.
Aircraft associated with the operation include single-engine Cessna light turboprops and the Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander. Both families suit short sectors and airports where compact aircraft are operationally useful. Cabins are small and generally configured around straightforward commuter transport, without the distinct business-class and economy-class products found on larger airlines. Travellers should expect limited onboard space and a simple service.
St Barth Commuter is not known as a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld, and no dedicated frequent-flyer programme is confidently identified. Passengers should therefore not assume that flights will earn miles or provide alliance benefits. Connections to long-haul services at Sint Maarten may involve separate tickets, baggage arrangements and check-in procedures, depending on the itinerary and booking channel.
The airline’s principal strength is convenience: its short flights can replace slower surface and ferry journeys between neighbouring islands. The trade-off is that small-aircraft operations are more exposed to weather, payload and baggage constraints than conventional jet services. Schedules and operating arrangements may also change seasonally, so travellers should reconfirm flight details, baggage limits and connection times directly before departure.
Good to know
Flying with St Barth Commuter — what to expect
Small Aircraft Operations
Flights use compact commuter aircraft with limited cabin and baggage space. Pack lightly and confirm any restrictions for large, heavy or unusual items before travel.
Weather Can Disrupt
Short island flights can be affected by wind, visibility and other local weather conditions. Allow extra time when connecting to an international departure.
Check Airport Details
Saint Martin and Sint Maarten refer to airports on different sides of the island. Verify the airport and territory shown on your booking before arranging ground transport.
Separate Ticket Connections
Connections at Sint Maarten may be booked separately from onward international flights. Leave a generous buffer and confirm whether checked baggage must be collected and rechecked.
Simple Cabin Service
These are very short commuter sectors, so travellers should expect a functional cabin rather than extensive onboard service or multiple travel classes.
Network overview
Where St Barth Commuter flies
St Barth Commuter operates 4 routes to 3 destinations across 3 countries, its longest sector reaching Saint Barthelemy to Sint Maarten (32 km nonstop).
Destinations served
Cities St Barth Commuter flies to, most-served first.
Main hubs
Busiest departure bases, by route count.
Fleet
Aircraft types on record for these routes.
Longest nonstop route
Saint Barthelemy → Sint Maarten
32 km · SBH → SXM
The longest sector in the St Barth Commuter network, measured as the great-circle distance between the two airports.
Route data · TravelPayouts route data · updated 2026-07
Route network
Popular routes operated by St Barth Commuter
Notable destinations on St Barth Commuter's network.
PVSaint BarthelemydirectPVSaint MartindirectPVSint MaartendirectDestination list is indicative of St Barth Commuter's network; see the airline's official route map for its complete, current schedule.
Reviews of St Barth Commuter
TripAdvisor · 2016–2022- 511
- 40
- 30
- 21
- 11
What travellers flew
Counted from the 13 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
10/10 with St. Barth Commuter
Thank you to St Barth Commuter for going above and beyond for our flights with you. From the moment we booked, you were availabile via email to answer my many questions including luggage allowances and traveling with an infant. Check in at Grand Case was super… See more easy and your entire team was very friendly. On the return, SBH to SXM, again, the team went above and beyond to be helpful and assist. The pilots were friendly and professional. We look forward to using your services again on our next visit.
See lessPosted May 2022 by Stephanie HK.
Fantastic day trip to St. Barth
Taking the flight to and landing at Jean Gustaf III Airport was alays high on my bucket list. So when we where in St Maarten, I booked my wife and son on a day trip to Saint Barthélemy. First of all, Davina and Alexandra were of great help answering some… See more questions I had regarding travel from Grand Case to Jean Gustaf III. Check in went smooth, getting a handwritten boarding card was delightful and off we went to St. Barth! The outbound flight was great and our one year old loved it too. He is a real dare devil and when the pilot started the steep decent into St. Barth, he started cheering. Heb as flying on our lap as he is still an infant. Same procedure as with every airline. The landing was perfect and every bit as cool as I expected it to be. The inbound started with us dashing full throttle on the runway, approaching the beach and sea (actually cooler than the landing) . The flight was a nice tour around the island of Sint Maarten and we also flew by Anguilla up close. Either the pilot had his girlfriend flying either him or he was hitting openly on a female passenger. Even making in air selfies from the cockpit. Nonetheless: textbook crosswind landing. Really cool to be so close to the action. Flying action, that is. All in all we had a great experience flying with the St Barth Commuter!
See lessPosted May 2021 by Dan, The Hague
Anti- Customer Policies
This airline has very customer negative policies. We are scheduled to fly to St. Bart but the local Government has announced in early February that no tourists are allowed to enter St. Bart indefinitely. Bottom line is we are not allowed to enter St Bart and… See more St Bart Commuter is prohibited from taking us, yet the airline has refused to fully refund our airfare. We paid for a service that they are not able to deliver yet they want to penalize us and charge us for no services. This is a terrible Customer service Policy. Stay away from this airline as they don't put their customers ahead of their own profits.
See lessPosted February 2021 by Bill K, Key West
Over Two Hours Early !
As British Airways changed the date for our outward flight to Antigua and we were unable to amend our flight with Tradewind Aviation we decided to charter a flight with SBC to ensure we would arrive on St Barths on the same day rather than have to overnight in… See more Antigua With our BA flight landing 30 minutes early we faced a 3 hour wait in Antigua. However, we were very pleasantly surprised to discover at check-in that our aircraft was imminently about to land in Antigua. We hurried through security and into the departure lounge and less than an hour after landing we were on our way to St Barths. 30 minutes later were on the island. We were very grateful for the flexibility shown by SBC in coming to Antigua nearly 2 and half hours ahead of the agreed departure time, and Dave, the local handling agent also deserves a special mention.
See lessPosted October 2020 by fatbear2000, Oxford
Post hurricane exemplary service
Post Irma, navigating the airport on St. Martin can be confusing. While the local airport and airline staff have done an amazing job of running an airport under extremely challenging conditions, the staff of St Barth Commuter goes above and beyond. Everyone… See more was friendly, extremely attentive and thorough. We were shepherded through the arrival and transfer process quickly and efficiently. Thanks so much to St Barth Commuter for starting our vacation off so well! Great job! Highly recommended.
See lessPosted February 2018 by Tamara S
Excellent Flight to and from St Barths
Great flight over to St Barths. Scenic views of the island along with friendly service at the gate made this short trip a good one. They also let me fly in the front next to the pilot, which was fun. Return flight from St Barths was also good. A bit longer… See more route for some reason but still fun to fly so low over the ocean. Would use them again!
See lessPosted August 2017 by cbrislin, Providence
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
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FAQ
St Barth Commuter — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- St Barth Commuter flies between Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin and Sint Maarten. Its network is concentrated on short inter-island links in the northeastern Caribbean.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts. Originfacts never adds a fee.
- The longest route is Saint Barthelemy to Sint Maarten, about 32 km nonstop.
- Small commuter aircraft have tighter cabin-storage and payload limits than standard airliners. Confirm the current carry-on allowance directly with the airline before departure, especially for rigid cases or bulky items.
- St Barth Commuter serves exactly 3 destinations across 3 countries, operating 4 routes.
- The busiest departure points are Saint Barthelemy, followed by Saint Martin and Sint Maarten. Together they form the airline’s entire scheduled network.
- Saint Barthelemy is St Barth Commuter’s busiest departure hub. Saint Martin and Sint Maarten are the other principal departure points in its compact network.
- Fares are generally most competitive when booked outside peak Caribbean holiday periods and major local events. Compare several dates and book early when travelling during winter or festival periods.