Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport
| Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: VQS – ICAO: TJVQ – FAA LID: VQS | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Puerto Rico Ports Authority | ||
| Location | Vieques, Puerto Rico | ||
| Hub for | VAL | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 49 ft / 15 m | ||
| Coordinates | 18°08′05″N 065°29′37″W / 18.13472°N 65.49361°WCoordinates: 18°08′05″N 065°29′37″W / 18.13472°N 65.49361°W | ||
| Map | |||
 TJVQ
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 9/27 | 4,301 | 1,311 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2007-2009) | |||
| Aircraft Operations | 31,390 | ||
| Passenger Movement | 165,043 (2,010) | ||
| Based aircraft | 19 | ||
| Sources: Federal Aviation Administration[1] 2010 passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority |
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Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (IATA: VQS, ICAO: TJVQ, FAA LID: VQS) is a small commercial air facility on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Because a large amount of Vieques' yearly revenue comes from the tourism industry, this small airport plays an important part in Vieques' economic outlook.
The airport has been for decades the hub of Vieques Air Link, and also a landing facility for a number of small airlines.
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[edit] History
When anti-military demonstrators started flocking into Vieques, both by air and sea, in 1999, Vieques Airport saw a considerable increase to its normal yearly average of passengers. In addition, many celebrities who travelled from all over Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America to join the protesters arrived at Vieques through this airport. When Carla Tricoli, a Vieques native, won the 2002 Miss Puerto Rico contest, her first flight as a beauty queen landed at Vieques Airport.
The airport does not accept jet aircraft, but a couple of international flights operate from it. Most of the commercial aviation operations are concentrated on domestic flights such as Vieques to Ceiba, Vieques to Isla Grande Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, both in San Juan. Air ambulance flights to Fajardo are also available.
Early in 2005, plans were announced to expand the airport's lone runway, so that the airport can accept flights by smaller jets. This would be done in preparation for American Eagle to start operations to the airport. The airline was expected to start flights to Vieques from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in early 2010, however service has not commenced as of October 2010.[2]
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Culebra (Air America) | San Juan-LMM |
| Air Flamenco | Ceiba, San Juan-Isla Grande |
| Air Sunshine | San Juan-LMM, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda |
| Cape Air | San Juan-LMM |
| Culebra Air Services | San Juan-LMM |
| Isla Nena Air | Ceiba, San Juan-LMM |
| M&N Aviation | San Juan-Isla Grande |
| Seaborne Airlines | San Juan-Isla Grande, San Juan-LMM,[3] St. Croix, St. Thomas |
| Vieques Air Link | Ceiba, Culebra, San Juan-LMM, San Juan-Isla Grande, St. Croix, St. Thomas |
[edit] Gallery
[edit] References
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for VQS (Form 5010 PDF), retrieved 2007-03-15
- ^ American Eagle aterrizará en Vieques retrieved 22 January 2009
- ^ New flights to San Juan International Seaborne Airlines
- ^ Getting to Vieques
[edit] External links
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for TJVQ
- ASN accident history for VQS
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for TJVQ
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for VQS
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