FlyTampa has shared a cryptic new scenery teaser, and the community believes one of flight simulation’s most recognisable Caribbean destinations could be making a return: St Maarten.
The developer posted a single image on Facebook showing a detailed seaside resort at sunset, without revealing the location, simulator or project behind it. Followers quickly began identifying the scene as St Maarten, with several pointing towards the area surrounding Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM).
One commenter suggested the image could depict the Sonesta Ocean Point Resort near Maho Bay, while others simply responded with “St Maarten” and “Princess Juliana”. FlyTampa has not confirmed those guesses, meaning the location remains officially unannounced for now.
A Familiar FlyTampa Destination
St Maarten would hardly be new territory for FlyTampa. The developer previously released scenery covering Princess Juliana alongside nearby St Barts and Saba for older simulators including FSX and Prepar3D.
Princess Juliana remains one of aviation’s most recognisable airports, largely thanks to arrivals over Maho Beach on Runway 10. Aircraft pass only a short distance above the beach before crossing the airport boundary, making the approach a long-standing favourite among plane spotters and flight simmers.
FlyTampa also previewed St Maarten for Microsoft Flight Simulator back in 2020, shortly after the simulator launched. Images at the time showed a substantially redesigned Princess Juliana, including detailed terminal modelling.
St Maarten, however, does not currently appear in FlyTampa’s Microsoft Flight Simulator catalogue. Six years after those early previews, the latest teaser has therefore brought the destination back into the spotlight.
Still Just a Teaser
For now, very little has been confirmed. FlyTampa has not announced whether the scenery is intended for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or both, and there is currently no information regarding pricing, release timing or the overall scope of the project.
It is also unclear whether a new St Maarten package would focus solely on Princess Juliana or extend to the wider island and nearby airports, as FlyTampa’s older scenery did.
The single screenshot nevertheless suggests attention is being given to the surrounding environment rather than simply the airport itself, with detailed vegetation, buildings, landscaping and shoreline visible throughout the scene.
Until FlyTampa reveals more, St Maarten remains the most convincing interpretation of the image shared so far. If the community is correct, one of the developer’s classic destinations could finally be preparing for a return to the current generation of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
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