Departure
90%
vs 95% ▼ 5
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Grand Case-Espérance Airport (TFFG/SFG) sits on the French side of the island of Saint Martin, serving as the smaller regional counterpart to Princess Juliana International on the Dutch side. Its single short runway, approached low over the bay of Grand-Case, makes it a distinctive and demanding destination for VFR pilots flying ATR-sized turboprops and light aircraft on inter-island services to Guadeloupe and Saint Barthélemy.
Grand Case-Espérance Airport lies at Grand Case on the French side of Saint Martin and is the island's second airfield after Princess Juliana International (SXM) across on the Dutch side. It is operated by EDEIS, a French airport operator, and handles regional passenger flights by ATR aircraft to Guadeloupe and onward connections, as well as private aviation. For the simulator pilot it is notable chiefly for its short single runway and its striking approach low over the bay of Grand-Case, which demands careful handling in anything larger than a light aircraft.
The airfield is located in Grand Case on the French side of Saint Martin. Approach control for Grand Case is provided by air traffic services at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) on the Dutch side of the island, which also handles its own approach, tower and ground control and manages a surrounding block of airspace out to 50 nautical miles on its short-range radar and up to 250 nautical miles on its long-range system, covering some 4,000 square nautical miles around the island.
There is a single asphalt runway aligned 12/30, lit for night operations. The runway is unusually asymmetric in its published length by direction: 3,757 feet is available on runway 12 and 3,417 feet on runway 30. Field elevation is 10 feet.
Juliana Approach is available on 128.95 MHz for approach control into Grand Case. Local frequencies at the field are Tower on 118.7 MHz, a common traffic advisory frequency on 123.5 MHz, and a further frequency on 119.2 MHz. There is no ILS at Grand Case.
Aircraft normally fly a short final for runway 12 approaching over the bay of Grand-Case, giving a distinctive low-level view of the water on the approach. Because the prevailing wind direction changes frequently at this location, arrivals are equally often flown as a short final for runway 30 in the opposite sense. Given the short runway, larger aircraft such as an ATR 72-500 are required to powerback after lining up for departure rather than using a conventional turnaround.
The bay of Grand-Case, immediately off the runway 12 threshold, is the principal visual reference for arriving traffic and gives approaching pilots clear sight of the runway during the final stages of the approach.
The airport underwent a significant renovation completed in 2017, which included a modernised terminal building, an upgraded fire station, an extended aircraft parking apron and a new control tower. A further hangar for line maintenance purposes was completed in 2018. The field has long served as the smaller of Saint Martin's two airports, complementing Princess Juliana International on the Dutch side of the island.
Grand Case-Espérance is managed by EDEIS, which also operates a number of other airports in France. Scheduled services are flown by Air Caraïbes to Fort-de-France and Pointe-à-Pitre, and by St Barth Commuter to Saint Barthélemy, alongside private aircraft movements. Operators wishing to use the airfield are required to submit a flight request to the airport's FBO service, so prior permission should be arranged before flying in.