We are going to see a lot more of the bigger carriers take off over the beach because the newer planes don't have the same amount of thrust as did the older planes. This was cut down for fuel efficiency according to my aviation friends.
AFAIK 28 departures from SXM are requested:
1) for a more direct route; the standard departure from 10 is a right turn to 180 degrees (i.e. south) then climb then a turn towards the first segment of the routing. If your destination is CDG (for example) that is the opposite direction so a right turn from a 28 departure is preferred. Air France usually leaves late pm when winds have typically dropped enough that any tailwind component is acceptable plus there is less traffic so easier to sequence a "wrong way" departure.
2) If the winds are, unusually, out of the west then more a/c will request a 28 departure because the tailwind for a 10 takeoff becomes a problem.
Edited to add: winds this pm reported as 14005KT i.e. small tailwind for 28 but still have just seen an A319 & B737 use 28 to depart.
Dave.
