Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Puerto Rico Ports Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Puerto Rico Ports Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | San Juan | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Carolina, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 9 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||||||
| Website | [1] | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  TJSJ Location in Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2010) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] Operations from the FAA[2] Passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority | |||||||||||||||
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (IATA: SJU, ICAO: TJSJ, FAA LID: SJU) is a joint civil-military public 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 FAA reports (4.24 million in 2010[3]). It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.
History
The airport opened on May 22, 1955. Located in the area known as Isla Verde, the airport was for many decades known as Isla Verde International Airport, until 1985, when then Governor Rafael Hernández Colón decided to name it 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 remained a focus city until April 4, 2011). In the past, the airport has been served by 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, and Continental Airlines.[4]
Operations
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, Ponce and Vieques. The airport offers rapid access to San Juan, the island's capital through the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge.
The airport serves as the Caribbean hub for American Eagle and Cape Air.[5] JetBlue Airways is the largest carrier in Puerto Rico.[6] Executive Airlines, under the American Eagle name, is the second largest operator in Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, with a total of 25 daily flights.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
The Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has one main terminal building with four concourses and a new terminal building which will have one concourse.
The departure area of the main terminal building is divided into four ticket counter areas sorted by carriers: (1) American Airlines, (2) Continental Airlines and Jetblue Airways, (3) Delta Air Lines, and (4) all the other airlines that provide service to the airport. The American Airlines area is nearest to concourses D and E, the Continental and JetBlue and Delta areas are nearest to concourse C and the remaining area is nearest to concouse B.
The original airport design had a different layout which consisted of three terminals B, C and D. New signing around the airport changed this.
Note: Gates 1A - 1F and gates 2 - 3 in concourse E are currently vacant due to American Airlines' San Juan hub cuts.
| Airlines | Destinations | Concourse |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Seasonal: Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson | B |
| Air Sunshine | St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda | B |
| AirTran Airways | Atlanta, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale [begins May 24, 2012],[7] Orlando, Tampa | B |
| American Airlines | Caracas, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Hartford/Springfield [ends April 2, 2012], Miami, New York-JFK | D, E |
| American Eagle | Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Fort-de-France, Grenada, La Romana, Pointe-à-Pitre, Punta Cana, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, Tortola | D |
| Anguilla Air Express (operated by Rainbow International Airlines) | Anguilla | B |
| British Airways | London-Gatwick1 | 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 |
| Iberia | Madrid | D |
| Insel Air | Curaçao, St. Maarten | C |
| JetBlue Airways | Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford/Springfield, Jacksonville, New York-JFK, Newark [begins April 25, 2012],[8] Orlando, Santo Domingo, St. Croix, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tampa, West Palm Beach [begins May 15, 2012][8] | C |
| LIAT | Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tortola | B |
| PAWA Dominicana | Seasonal: Punta Cana, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo | C |
| Seaborne Airlines | St. Croix, St. Thomas, Vieques[9] | B |
| Spirit Airlines | Fort Lauderdale, Orlando | C |
| Sun Country Airlines | Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul | C |
| Sunwing Airlines | Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson | C |
| Tradewind Aviation | St. Barth | B |
| United Airlines | Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, Washington-Dulles | B |
| US Airways | Charlotte, Philadelphia | B |
| Vieques Air Link | Vieques | B |
| WestJet | Toronto-Pearson | C |
- Notes
- ^1 Although British Airways' flight to London-Gatwick stops in Antigua, British Airways is not allowed to transport passengers between San Juan and Antigua.
Air charters
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air France | Seasonal: Guadeloupe |
| Avianca | Seasonal: Bogotá |
| C.T.S. operated by American Eagle | Santiago de Cuba |
| Expressjet | Seasonal: Punta Cana |
| Miami Air | Varies, depending on the tour operator |
| M&N Aviation | Caribbean |
| Omni Air International | Varies, depending on the tour operator |
| Ryan International Airlines | Varies, depending on the tour operator |
| USA Jet Airlines | Seasonal: Puerto Plata, Punta Cana |
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New York City, NY (JFK)
|
505,000 | American, Delta, JetBlue |
| 2 |  Orlando, FL (MCO)
|
432,000 | AirTran, JetBlue, Spirit |
| 3 | Miami, FL
|
419,000 | American |
| 4 |  Atlanta, GA
|
375,000 | AirTran, Delta |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale, FL
|
251,000 | JetBlue, Spirit |
| 6 |  Philadelphia, PA
|
222,000 | US Airways |
| 7 |  Boston, MA
|
144,000 | JetBlue |
| 8 |  Charlotte, NC
|
139,000 | US Airways |
| 9 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
|
132,000 | American |
| 10 |  Chicago, IL (ORD)
|
120,000 | American, United |
Traffic statistics
| 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%
|
Military/cargo ramps
Military ramp
Cargo services
| 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 |
| Capital Cargo International Airlines | |
| 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 |
| Tradewinds Airlines | |
| UPS Airlines | Jacksonville, Louisville |
Airport expansion
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 are being used to expand the airport facilities through 2011. The new Terminal A opening date is yet to be announced.
Accidents and incidents
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2010) |
- On 15 February 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 that was flying to Isla Verde crashed shortly after takeoff from Las Américas International Airport in Punta Caucedo, Dominican Republic, near Santo Domingo, killing everyone on board, including Puerto Rico's national women's volleyball team and Dominican Carlos Cruz, a former world boxing champion who was going to San Juan for a rematch with Carlos Ortiz. See: Dominicana DC-9 air disaster
- On 24 June 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Isla Verde Airport, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport in Ponce.
- On 31 December 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.
- In 1983, a hijacked Alitalia DC-10 landed at this airport, under orders by the hijacker.
- In 1985, an American Airlines DC-10 taking off from Muñoz Marín to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas overran the runway and nosedived into a nearby lagoon. There were no injuries. [2]
- On 29 July 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,[15] the other was seriously injured.[16]
- On 1 March 1989, Douglas C-49J N28PR of Borinquen Air ditched on approach following a failure of the port engine.[17] Although the landing gear was retracted, the crew did not feather the propellor. This resulted in increased drag which made flight impossible.[18] The aircraft was on an international cargo flight from Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis.[17]
- On 17 September 1989, Douglas C-47A N100DW of Tol Air Services was damaged beyond economic repair by Hurricane Hugo.[19]
- On 24 September 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.[20]
- On 4 April 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.[21][22]
- On May 9, 2004, an American Eagle Super ATR, flight 5401, crash-landed when one of the tires popped. Seventeen people were injured, but no fatalities.
- On 26 April 2009, Douglas DC-3C N136FS of Four Star Air Cargo was damaged beyond economic repair when a fire broke out in the cockpit. The aircraft was taxiing for take-off on a mail flight to Cyril E. King Airport, Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands.[23][24]
- On March 30, 2010, an M&N Aviation Short 330 (N106SW), with three people on board, was landing on runway 10 when its nose wheel collapsed.[25][26]
In popular culture
- In the 1982 movie Conexión Caribe, music group Los Chicos arrived at the Luis Muňoz 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 Piňones. A Lockheed L-1011 aircraft is seen landing at Luis Muňoz 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
- ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for SJU PDF, effective 2007-03-15
- ^ Air Traffic Activity System
- ^ CY 2010 Passenger Boarding [dead link]
- ^ airlineroute.net retrieved 10/31/2009
- ^ Official AMR Website Profile with Hub List retrieved 5/27/2008
- ^ investor.jetblue.com
- ^ http://www.southwest.com/html/cs/investor_relations/if_news_releases.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-PRESS
- ^ a b http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1639604&highlight=
- ^ New flights to San Juan International Seaborne Airlines
- ^ Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- ^ 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
- ^ "N27PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ "NTSB Identification: MIA86MA217". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ a b "N28PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ "NTSB Identification: MIA89FA096". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ "N100DW Hull-loss description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network retrieved 27 November 2006
- ^ "N19BA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ "MIA01IA110". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ "N136FS Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ Hradecky, Simon (27 April 2009). "Accident: Four Star Cargo DC3 at San Juan on Apr 26th 2009, cockpit burned off airframe". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
- ^ FAA.gov
- ^ Cargo plane gear collapses near San Juan, PR
External links
- Official website
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective September 5, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for SJU
- AirNav airport information for TJSJ
- ASN accident history for SJU
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for TJSJ
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for SJU