Toussaint Louverture International Airport (French: Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture) (IATA: PAP, ICAO: MTPP) is an international airport located in Tabarre, near Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The airport is currently the busiest in Haiti.
[edit] History
In the 1940s a military and civil airfield, Bowen Field, was established near Baie de Port-au-Prince providing passenger air service by Compagnie Haitienne de Transports Aériens. It served as an airbase for the U.S. military in Haiti in the 1950s and 1960s.
Developed with grant money from the United States Government, the current airport opened in 1965 as Francois Duvalier International Airport, named after then Haitian president Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Following the resignation of Duvalier's son and successor Jean Claude Duvalier in 1986, the airport was renamed Port-au-Prince International Airport, before being renamed again as Toussaint Louverture International Airport in 2003, in honour of the Haitian revolutionary leader.
[edit] Facilities
The main building of the airport works as the International Terminal. It consists of a two story concrete and glass structure. Lounges and a few retail stores are located on the second floor of the main building. Check-in counters, gates and immigration facilities are on the lower floor. The Guy Malary Terminal (named after former Haitian Justice Minister Guy Malary) is used for domestic flights. There are further buildings used for general aviation and cargo flights. The airport has 3 jet bridges, but most passengers walk onto aircraft from mobile stairs. The ramp area can handle 12 planes.[2]
Currently, international passengers are transported by bus to a warehouse near the terminal where they go through customs and immigration processing. The jet-ways are still operational. American Airlines still operates check-in, security, and boarding on the west end of the terminal near Gate 1. [3]
[edit] Access
The airport can be accessed by car (with parking space being located adjacent to the terminal building) or by National Bus Route 1.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines |
Destinations |
| Aero Caribbean |
Santiago de Cuba[4] |
| Air Canada |
Montréal-Trudeau |
| Air Caraïbes |
Cayenne, Fort-de-France, Paris-Orly, Pointe-à-Pitre, Santo Domingo, Sint Maarten |
| Air France |
Miami, Pointe-à-Pitre |
| Air Transat |
Montréal-Trudeau |
| Air Turks and Caicos |
Providenciales |
| Aerolíneas Mas |
Santiago de los Caballeros[5], Santo Domingo-La Isabela |
| American Airlines |
Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York-JFK |
| Copa Airlines |
Panama City |
| Delta Air Lines |
Atlanta [begins 7 April 2012], New York-JFK |
| Insel Air |
Curaçao, Miami, Sint Maarten |
| SALSA d'Haiti |
Cap-Haiten |
| Spirit Airlines |
Fort Lauderdale |
| Sunwing Airlines |
Montréal-Trudeau |
| Tortug' Air |
Jacmel, Jérémie, Les Cayes, Port-de-Paix |
| United Airlines |
Newark |
[edit] Cargo airlines
[edit] Hub Operations
As of July 2011, Toussaint Louverture serves as operating hub for scheduled domestic airlines SALSA d'Haiti and Tortug' Air. Additionally, the charter airline Sunrise Airways is based out of the Port-au-Prince airport.
[edit] Incidents and accidents
- March 7, 1980: A Learjet (N211MB) operating on a corporate charter flight on behalf of 'Merchant Bank' crashed in the hills on arrival at airport. One passenger and two crew members died.[6]
- 12 July 1980: A Douglas C-47 crashed on approach, killing all three people on board. The aircraft was being used illegally to transport marijuana.[7]
- December 7, 1995: An Air St. Martin Beechcraft 1900D aircraft (F-OHRK) hit a mountain at an altitude of 5,030 feet (1,533 m), 30 kilometres (19 mi) away from airport. Two crew members and 18 passengers (which were illegal immigrants to Guadeloupe) were killed.[8]
- February 12, 1996: A Haiti Express GAF Nomad aircraft (N224E) crashed shortly after taking off. Two crew members and 8 passengers died.[9]
- August 31, 2007: A Caribintair Cessna Grand Caravan (HH-CAR) crashed shortly after takeoff 5 kilometres (3 mi) away from the airport. There were no fatal injuries.[10]
- September 11, 2007: Only eleven days after the previous accident another plane crash of a Caribintair Cessna Grand Caravan (HH-CAW) occurred near the airport, this time upon landing 10 kilometres (6 mi) short of the runway.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
