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The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (IATA: SJU, ICAO: TJSJ, FAA LID: SJU) —Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín— is a joint civil-military international airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles (five kilometers) southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to the Federal Aviation Administration.[3]
The airport is owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority but managed by Aerostar Airport Holdings, a public-private partnership which was awarded a lease by the government of Puerto Rico to operate and manage the airport for 40 years.[4] SJU is the second international airport to be privatized in the United States and the only currently privatized airport in the Nation.[5]
History [edit]
Until 1955, the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport was the main international airport of Puerto Rico. This is until the early start of the jet age that many of the airlines that served Puerto Rico were changing from propelled to jet aircraft, and Isla Grande's 4,000 foot runway at the time did not have the distance for jet planes to take off and land. In 1951, Governor Luis Muñoz Marin authorized the construction of a modern airport with a runway long enough to land jet aircraft. In addition, the airport would be a major meeting point for tourism in Latin America, not only for passenger traffic, but also for air cargo. It will not serve only as an international airport, but also as the home of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
The airport opened on May 22, 1955. Located in the area known as Isla Verde. By the time of its construction it had only one runway (Runway 8/26), the old tower which today is on the top of the Airport Hotel, three terminals and 200 car parking space. In the late 1970's, construction of Runway 10/28 began and was finished by late 1984. In 1985, Governor Rafael Hernández Colón decided to name the airport after Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rico's first democratically elected governor.[citation needed]. The airport served as a Caribbean hub for Pan Am, Trans Caribbean Airways, Eastern Air Lines, and a short lived focus city for TWA. It was also the hub of Puerto Rico's international airline, Prinair from 1966 until 1984, when Prinair went bankrupt. In 1986, American Airlines, along with American Eagle, established a hub in the airport to compete with Eastern Air Lines. American then ended hub operations due to flight capacity cuts and continued to operate a focus city until April 4, 2011. American Eagle service, operated by San Juan-based Executive Airlines with ATR-72 turboprop aircraft, was completely shut down on April 1, 2013 although American continues to serve the airport.
In the past, the airport has been served by Caribair (which was based in San Juan), Mexicana de Aviación, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, ACES Colombia, Air Jamaica, BWIA, Viasa, Avianca, Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Dominicana de Aviación, ATA Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Continental Airlines, British Airways, and Iberia.
Airport expansion [edit]
As of 2008, the airport has been receiving major upgrades, including a new terminal (Terminal A), pavement and apron expansions, new light systems, press conference rooms, and new fast food franchises along its corridors.
Over $400 million was used to expand the airport facilities through 2011. Terminal A opened on June 6, 2012 and is occupied by JetBlue Airways.[6]
Operations [edit]
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the island's main international gateway and its main connection to the United States. Domestic flights fly between Carolina and other local destinations, including Culebra, Mayagüez and Vieques. The airport offers rapid access to San Juan district of Hato Rey, the island's financial district through the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge. Easy access to Old San Juan is obtained thru the Baldorioty de Castro Expressway (Road 26).
The airport serves as the Caribbean hub for Cape Air as well as a focus city for JetBlue Airways.[7] JetBlue is the largest carrier in San Juan, with 31 daily flights on an average day.[8]
Traffic statistics [edit]
Passenger statistics for SJU[9][10][11][12][13]
| Year |
Total Passengers |
% Change |
| 2001 |
9,453,564 |
– |
| 2002 |
9,389,232 |
 0.7% |
| 2003 |
9,716,687 |
 3.5% |
| 2004 |
10,568,986 |
8.8% |
| 2005 |
10,768,698 |
1.9% |
| 2006 |
10,506,118 |
2.4% |
| 2007 |
10,409,464 |
0.9% |
| 2008 |
9,378,924 |
9.9% |
| 2009 |
8,245,895 |
12.1% |
| 2010 |
8,491,257 |
3.0% |
| 2011 |
7,993,381 |
5.9% |
| 2012 |
8,448,172 |
5.7% |
Terminals, airlines and destinations [edit]
Destinations with direct service from SJU
The Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has one main terminal building with four concourses and a separate terminal with one concourse.
| Airlines |
Destinations |
Concourse |
| Air Canada |
Seasonal: Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson |
B |
| Air Sunshine |
St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda |
B |
AirTran Airways
operated by Southwest Airlines |
Atlanta (ends November 2, 2013), Baltimore (ends June 1, 2013), Fort Lauderdale (ends September 28, 2013) |
C |
| American Airlines |
Caracas, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York-JFK, |
D, E |
| Avianca |
Bogotá (resumes July 17, 2013)[14] |
D |
| Cape Air |
Anguilla, Mayagüez, Nevis, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques |
B |
| Condor Flugdienst |
Frankfurt |
C |
| Copa Airlines |
Panama City |
C |
| Delta Air Lines |
Atlanta, New York-JFK
Seasonal: Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul |
B |
| JetBlue Airways |
Boston, Chicago-O'Hare (begins November 20, 2013),[15] Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Jacksonville, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, Punta Cana, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, St. Croix, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tampa, Washington-National, West Palm Beach |
A, C |
| LIAT |
Antigua, Dominica, St. Maarten, Tortola |
B |
| Seaborne Airlines |
Dominica, Fort-de-France (begins June 1, 2013), Pointe-à-Pitre (begins June 1, 2013), St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda |
D |
| Southwest Airlines |
Atlanta (begins November 3, 2013), Baltimore (begins June 2, 2013),[16] Fort Lauderdale (begins September 29, 2013),[17] Orlando, Tampa |
C |
| Spirit Airlines |
Fort Lauderdale, Orlando |
C |
| Sun Country Airlines |
Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul |
C |
| Sunwing Airlines |
Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson |
C |
| Tradewind Aviation |
St. Barthélemy |
B |
| United Airlines |
Chicago-O'Hare (resumes November 5, 2013), Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, Washington-Dulles |
B |
| US Airways |
Charlotte, Philadelphia |
B |
| Vieques Air Link |
Vieques |
B |
| WestJet |
Toronto-Pearson |
C |
Air charters [edit]
Top destinations [edit]
Busiest U.S. Routes from SJU
(SJU outbound passengers only) (January 2012 – December 2012)[18]
| Rank |
City |
Passengers |
Carriers |
| 1 |
New York City, NY (JFK) |
648,620 |
American, Delta, JetBlue |
| 2 |
Miami, FL |
435,160 |
American |
| 3 |
Orlando, FL (MCO) |
431,460 |
AirTran, JetBlue, Spirit |
| 4 |
Atlanta, GA |
331,830 |
AirTran, Delta |
| 5 |
Fort Lauderdale, FL |
290,470 |
AirTran, JetBlue, Spirit |
| 6 |
Philadelphia, PA |
198,480 |
US Airways |
| 7 |
Tampa, FL |
153,540 |
AirTran, JetBlue |
| 8 |
Charlotte, NC |
143,640 |
US Airways |
| 9 |
Newark, NJ |
139,900 |
JetBlue, United |
| 10 |
Boston, MA |
128,950 |
JetBlue |
Busiest non-U.S. International Routes from San Juan
(SJU inbound & outbound passengers) (January 2011 – December 2011)[19]
| Rank |
Airport |
Passengers |
Carriers |
| 1 |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
327,647 |
American Eagle, JetBlue |
| 2 |
Tortola, British Virgin Islands |
150,669 |
Air Sunshine, American Eagle, Cape Air |
| 3 |
Panama City, Panama |
122,192 |
Copa Airlines |
| 4 |
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
98,863 |
American Eagle (54,744), charter airlines |
| 5 |
Caracas, Venezuela |
65,528 |
American Airlines |
| 6 |
Madrid, Spain |
59,636 |
Iberia |
Military/cargo ramps [edit]
Military ramp [edit]
Cargo services [edit]
| Airlines |
Destinations |
| ABX Air |
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Greensboro |
| Air Cargo Carriers |
Antigua, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola |
| Ameriflight |
Aguadilla, Aruba, Barbados, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas |
| Amerijet International |
Miami, Port-au-Prince |
| DHL operated by ABX Air |
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Greensboro |
| FedEx Express |
Memphis, Miami, Campinas |
| FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo |
Antigua, Pointe-a-Pitre, Ponce, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tortola |
| M&N Aviation |
|
| Roblex Aviation |
|
| Tampa Cargo |
Barbados, Bogotá, Miami |
| Tradewinds Airlines |
|
| UPS Airlines |
Jacksonville, Louisville |
Accidents and incidents [edit]
- On December 31, 1972, baseball star Roberto Clemente and his companions died when their DC-7 crashed soon after takeoff from Isla Verde during a relief flight bound for Nicaragua. Neither the bodies of the victims nor the plane's wreckage were ever found.[citation needed]
- On July 29, 1986, Douglas C-53D N27PR of Borinquen Air crashed into a lagoon on approach. The aircraft was on an international cargo flight to Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis when the starboard engine failed shortly after take-off and the decision was made to return to Carolina. One of the two crew was killed,[20] the other was seriously injured.[21]
- On March 1, 1989, Douglas C-49J N28PR of Borinquen Air ditched on approach following a failure of the port engine.[22] Although the landing gear was retracted, the crew did not feather the propellor. This resulted in increased drag which made flight impossible.[23] The aircraft was on an international cargo flight from Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis.[22]
- On September 17, 1989, Douglas C-47A N100DW of Tol Air Services was damaged beyond economic repair by Hurricane Hugo.[24]
- On September 24, 1998, – Trans-Florida Airlines Convair 240-13 (N91237) had an engine problem on take-off. It attempted to return to the airport, but lost altitude and was force landed in a salt water lagoon some 2 miles short of the runway. Though the aircraft was written off, the two crew and one passenger were uninjured.[25]
- On April 4, 2001, Douglas DC-3A N19BA of Roblex Aviation ditched in the sea after suffering a double engine failure while on a local training flight. Both crew escaped. Damage to the aircraft was described as minor.[26][27]
- On May 9, 2004, American Eagle Flight 5401, an ATR-72, crashed in San Juan, Puerto Rico after the captain lost control of the aircraft while landing. Seventeen people were injured, but there were no fatalities.[28]
- On Thursday, March 15, 2012, a cargo airplane operated by Jet One Express crashed near the airport, killing its two occupants. The plane, a Convair 440, went down at a lagoon after the pilot reported engine trouble, during a flight to St. Maarten.[29][30]
See also [edit]
In popular culture [edit]
- The airport is featured in Hunter S. Thompson's novel The Rum Diary
- In the 1982 movie Conexión Caribe, music group Los Chicos arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport from the Dominican Republic on board an Oceanair airplane.
- Music group Menudo recorded a music video for their song "Claridad", in 1981 at the nearby Isla Verde Beach in Piñones. A Lockheed L-1011 aircraft is seen landing at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in the video.
- The airport is seen in several scenes of action film Illegal Tender, where a Puerto Rican youngster flies to the country from the United States several times.
References [edit]
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for SJU (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-03-15
- ^ Air Traffic Activity System
- ^ CY 2010 Passenger Boarding[dead link]
- ^ "Puerto Ricans protest deal with Mexican firm to run airport". EFE. February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ Sechler, Bob (February 26, 2013). "Puerto Rico Airport to Go Private". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ^ "JetBlue | Help". Help.jetblue.com. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ "JetBlue | Investor relations | Press Releases". Investor.jetblue.com. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ investor.jetblue.com
- ^ Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2001–2006 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
- ^ Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2002–2007 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
- ^ Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2008–2009 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
- ^ Passenger Movement LMM International Airport Jul 2009 – Jun 2011 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
- ^ Carga y pasajeros aéreos y marítimos Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico
- ^ "Avianca Tiquetes (Pasajes) Aéreos, Vuelos Nacionales (Colombia) e Internacionales, Promociones y Descuentos". Avianca.com. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ "JetBlue Airways Announces New Flights from Chicago to Sunny San Juan! - Yahoo! Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ "Southwest Airlines And AirTran Airways Connect Networks - Yahoo! Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ "Southwest Airlines And Airtran Airways Announce New Markets In October Flight Schedule - Yahoo! Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- ^ "Data Bank 28IS - T-100 and T-100(f) International Segment Data, U.S. and Foreign Air Carriers Traffic and Capacity Data - 6-Month Restricted (U.S. Point and Foreign Point): December 2011 CD". 2011. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "N27PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ "NTSB Identification: MIA86MA217". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ a b "N28PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ "NTSB Identification: MIA89FA096". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ "N100DW Hull-loss description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network Retrieved November 27, 2006
- ^ "N19BA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ^ "MIA01IA110". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ^ "Crash During Landing, Executive Airlines Flight 5401, Avions de Transport Regional 72-212, N438AT, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 9, 2004" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-23.
- ^ Crash: Jet One Express CVLP at San Juan on Mar 15, 2012, engine trouble
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501715_162-57397948/cargo-plane-crashes-in-puerto-rico-with-3-on-board. [dead link]
External links [edit]
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