Rafael Hernández Airport
Encyclopedia
Rafael Hernández Airport is an airport located in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
. It is named after the Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández Marín
. The airport is the second international airport in Puerto Rico
in the region of Porta del Sol
, Puerto Rico's west coast.
Rafael Hernandez Airport mainly serves Puerto Rican westerners living in the Eastern Region of the United States. The airport serves as focus city
to PAWA Dominicana
.
In the past, the airport has been served by major carriers like Capitol Air, Pan Am, Kiwi International Air Lines
, TWA
, American Airlines
, Delta Connection
, to mention a few. Mostly due to little planning, research or advertising, some of these services have been suspended. Other services have been discontinued as part of the airlines restructuring plan, or as a result of airlines going out of business.
. It used to receive domestic commercial flights by Prinair
as well as service from JFK International Airport in New York City with Capitol Air http://www.departedflights.com/CL120182.html, and 707
passenger flights from Miami with Southeast Airlines
http://www.crazedfanboy.com/npcr/laflapcr219.html. It is also noted for being the place that large clothing company Wrangler
uses to land their planes filled with company-related cargo.
In 1988, Rafael Hernández Airport started to surface as an alternative to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, when Carnival Air Lines
and ATA began jet services there. In the 1990s, American Airlines
joined those two airlines. Later on, Pan Am (2) and TWA
also came.
In the early 1990s Carnival Air Lines
operated the first intra-Puerto Rican
jet service from the airport to Ponce
, with Boeing 727
s and Airbus A300
s.
Prinair suffered various accidents and ceased operations.
In 2000, North American Airlines
re-opened passenger service with a non-stop flight to New York-JFK three times a week. Later on Continental Airlines
joined North American
with a daily flight to their hub in Newark
. The evident success of service from the Aguadilla, caught the attention of Boston-Maine Airways
that opened a route to Orlando
-Sanford and Santo Domingo
.
In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced that it would be remodelling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. An expansion of the terminal building and a new parking lot were among the projects in mind. The expansion was inaugurated on July 12, 2005.
In 2005, continuous passenger traffic growth caught the attention of Jet Blue Airways, which opened a daily flight to their hub in New York
. Soon after the arrival of Jet Blue to the airport, North American
ceased operations at the airport. Soon after, Jet Blue announced that it will be adding a second daily flight to New York-JFK.
In December 2006, thousands of people gathered at the airport to welcome Carlos "El Indio" Quintana
.
In 2006, Delta Connection
began regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia
five times a week. The service ended on January 20, 2007 as part of Delta's restructuring plan. Later on 2007 JetBlue Airways
began service to Orlando
.
In the summer of 2007 Spirit Airlines
announced plans to begin service from the airport to their hub in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with a flight five times a week during the summer. The success of the service resulted in Spirit
offering 2 daily flights. Service frequency was lowered to a flight 5 times a week instead of the expected end of service at the end of the summer.
On July 5, 2007, the newly renovated control tower
directed its first aircraft.
During the low season of 2007 there were 59 flights per week, 1 daily flight to New York
, 1 to Newark
and Orlando
and a flight 5 times per week to Ft. Lauderdale.
Due to the success of service, Spirit Airlines
has increased their frequency to daily to/from Ft. Lauderdale. In addition, Spirit added a daily non-stop service to Orlando
on February. JetBlue will also continue to have two daily flights to New York-JFK after the Holiday Season. Also, starting May 1, JetBlue will be adding a second daily flight to/from Orlando
.
On June 2, 2008, Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
restored service between the Airport and Santo Domingo
-Las Americas as well as to Punta Cana
in the Dominican Republic
. These are two of the routes that is evidently under-served due to high demand and proximity of Aguadilla to the neighboring island.
On May 24, 2008, local leaders gathered at the airport to meet Democratic presidential candidate Hillary R. Clinton.
The capacity of the airport and its role as the main gateway to Porta del Sol, the airport is considered extremely undeserved, something that has caused indignation in the region, which accounts for one third of the Puerto Rico's total population, and the mayor
of the city on a number of occasions to ask for the airport to be transferred to the city.
For year 2007 the airport transported 400,473 passengers, nearly a 500% increase in five years. Rafael Hernández Airport has an average of 51 regular passengers flights per week.
, Luis Fortuño
, announced at the International Fair of Tourism, in Madrid
, that charter flights to the Spanish cities of Madrid
and Barcelona
will commence on March
2011. The flights will begin in a weekly basis for a period of 6 months with goals of permanent service to the European cities. The flight to Madrid
will be on Saturdays, while the one to Barcelona
will be on Sundays. They will be on a Boeing 767
with capacity for 214 passengers in a 18/196 configuration.
.
plans to expand its existing operations at the airport to make it its Caribbean distribution hub.
To benefit from the act Charter Airlines must carry 75% of the passengers on board with a 3+ nights reservation in a hotel in the region of 130 or less rooms.
. The Viking
was modified to become state-of-the-art icing research aircraft. This flights will seek to characterize the icing conditions that exist in the tropical convective layer of the atmosphere.
At the beginning of the airport, the runway was built in 1940 as part of the Borinquen Field Army Air Corps Base. In 1948 The base was renamed Ramey Air Force Base complex. Ramey was home to the Strategic Air Command and housed a number of B-36, B-47 and B-52s. Due to the size of the B-36 the runway at Ramey had to be built to a length of 11,702 ft and a width of 200 ft, added a 870 ft Blast Pad at each end and a 50 ft shoulder on each side.
with an international side capable of handling flights of over 200 passengers. It also hosts the Main Cargo Terminal, the FedEx
Terminal, and the General Aviation
Terminal. The North side also houses the Copeca Jet Center Executive Terminal, as well as five service hangars. The military side of the airport is also located on the North side, housing the Air Station Borinquen, a United States Coast Guard
facility.
a master plan was conceived to turn the South side into a cargo
hub for the Caribbean. Local residents object to the use of the South side for Cargo
rather than a modern passenger terminal.
was recently upgraded to include air conditioning, more space for modern airline
ticket counters and car rental
counters. It constitutes two "gates" gate 14 and 15. Gate 14 is use for departures, while Gate 15 is use for arrivals. The terminal is divided into two sections, the domestic and the international sides. The domestic side is equipped with a United States Department of Agriculture
facility, while the international side constitutes a United States Customs capable of handling up to 200 passengers.
There are plans to expand the road that give access to the airport.
Martinair is expanding its air-cargo operations to Aguadilla Airport. The expansion to Aguadilla will facilitate more flights (up to 12 a week by 2010) to and from the island and serve as a value-added cold-chain hub for the transport of flowers and produce from South America for consumption in Puerto Rico, the mainland U.S., Europe and other parts of the world.
There are official plans to renovate the runway enroute to house FedEx
expansion.
offered service to their hub
in Miami from Rafael Hernandez Airport. Miami, as well as other popular routes, currently lacks service from the airport. These markets include but are not limited to Chicago
, Philadelphia, Boston
, Hartford, and Baltimore
. These cities are home to some of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States, many of whom have ties to Aguadilla and the surrounding region.
In 2009 a United States Customs facility capable of handling 200 passengers was inaugurated at Rafael Hernandez Airport.
Terminal. The FedEx Terminal is home to FedEx and its local affiliates. Talks are currently going for FedEx to increase their operations at Rafael Hernandez Airport and turn Aguadilla in a hub and distribution center for the Caribbean. The remaining Cargo Carriers are located in the Main Terminal.
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla , founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo...
. It is named after the Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández Marín
Rafael Hernández Marín
Rafael Hernández , was one of the most important composers of Puerto Rican popular music during the 20th century.-Early years:...
. The airport is the second international airport in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the region of Porta del Sol
Porta del Sol
Porta del Sol is a tourism region in western Puerto Rico. It consist of 17 municipalities in the western area: Quebradillas, Isabela, San Sebastián, Moca, Aguadilla, Aguada, Rincón, Añasco, Mayagüez, Las Marías, Maricao, Hormigueros, San Germán, Sábana Grande, Guánica, Lajas and Cabo Rojo. Porta...
, Puerto Rico's west coast.
Rafael Hernandez Airport mainly serves Puerto Rican westerners living in the Eastern Region of the United States. The airport serves as focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
to PAWA Dominicana
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana is the national and international flag carrier of the Dominican Republic. It was created as a subsidiary airline for Pan American World Airways....
.
In the past, the airport has been served by major carriers like Capitol Air, Pan Am, Kiwi International Air Lines
Kiwi International Air Lines
Kiwi International Air Lines was a Part 121 American airline that operated from September 21, 1992 to March 24, 1999. It had its headquarters in the Hemisphere Center in Newark, New Jersey....
, TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
, to mention a few. Mostly due to little planning, research or advertising, some of these services have been suspended. Other services have been discontinued as part of the airlines restructuring plan, or as a result of airlines going out of business.
History
The airport has been long associated with the adjacent military base, Ramey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base
Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
. It used to receive domestic commercial flights by Prinair
Prinair
Prinair was a Puerto Rican airline. It was Puerto Rico's domestic and international flag carrier airline for almost two decades.- History :Services began in 1966, under the name Aerolíneas de Ponce , with Aero Commanders...
as well as service from JFK International Airport in New York City with Capitol Air http://www.departedflights.com/CL120182.html, and 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
passenger flights from Miami with Southeast Airlines
Southeast Airlines
Southeast Airlines was a low fare public charter airline in the United States, headquartered in Largo, Florida, operating regular service to various vacation/leisure destinations using eight Douglas DC-9 and two McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft...
http://www.crazedfanboy.com/npcr/laflapcr219.html. It is also noted for being the place that large clothing company Wrangler
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
uses to land their planes filled with company-related cargo.
In 1988, Rafael Hernández Airport started to surface as an alternative to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, when Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines was a charter and low-cost air division of Carnival Cruise Lines started in 1988 after Carnival Cruise Lines purchased Pacific Interstate Airlines. It was headquartered in Dania, Florida.-History:...
and ATA began jet services there. In the 1990s, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
joined those two airlines. Later on, Pan Am (2) and TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
also came.
In the early 1990s Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines was a charter and low-cost air division of Carnival Cruise Lines started in 1988 after Carnival Cruise Lines purchased Pacific Interstate Airlines. It was headquartered in Dania, Florida.-History:...
operated the first intra-Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
jet service from the airport to Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, with Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s and Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
s.
Prinair suffered various accidents and ceased operations.
In 2000, North American Airlines
North American Airlines
North American Airlines, Inc. is an American airline with its headquarters in Building 141 on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, USA. Prior to May 2008, it operated scheduled international services from the USA to Africa and Guyana. Today, it...
re-opened passenger service with a non-stop flight to New York-JFK three times a week. Later on Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
joined North American
North American Airlines
North American Airlines, Inc. is an American airline with its headquarters in Building 141 on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, USA. Prior to May 2008, it operated scheduled international services from the USA to Africa and Guyana. Today, it...
with a daily flight to their hub in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. The evident success of service from the Aguadilla, caught the attention of Boston-Maine Airways
Boston-Maine Airways
Boston-Maine Airways was an American airline headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. It operated scheduled commuter services under the Pan Am Clipper Connection banner. Its main base was Pease International Airport, Portsmouth...
that opened a route to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
-Sanford and Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced that it would be remodelling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. An expansion of the terminal building and a new parking lot were among the projects in mind. The expansion was inaugurated on July 12, 2005.
In 2005, continuous passenger traffic growth caught the attention of Jet Blue Airways, which opened a daily flight to their hub in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Soon after the arrival of Jet Blue to the airport, North American
North American Airlines
North American Airlines, Inc. is an American airline with its headquarters in Building 141 on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, USA. Prior to May 2008, it operated scheduled international services from the USA to Africa and Guyana. Today, it...
ceased operations at the airport. Soon after, Jet Blue announced that it will be adding a second daily flight to New York-JFK.
In December 2006, thousands of people gathered at the airport to welcome Carlos "El Indio" Quintana
Carlos Quintana (boxer)
Carlos Quintana is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur Quintana represented Puerto Rico. He debuted as a professional in 1997. On February 24, 2006, he participated in his first professional championship fight, defeating Raul Bejerano for the World Boxing Organization's Latino...
.
In 2006, Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
began regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
five times a week. The service ended on January 20, 2007 as part of Delta's restructuring plan. Later on 2007 JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
began service to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
In the summer of 2007 Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
announced plans to begin service from the airport to their hub in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with a flight five times a week during the summer. The success of the service resulted in Spirit
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
offering 2 daily flights. Service frequency was lowered to a flight 5 times a week instead of the expected end of service at the end of the summer.
On July 5, 2007, the newly renovated control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
directed its first aircraft.
During the low season of 2007 there were 59 flights per week, 1 daily flight to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1 to Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and a flight 5 times per week to Ft. Lauderdale.
Due to the success of service, Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
has increased their frequency to daily to/from Ft. Lauderdale. In addition, Spirit added a daily non-stop service to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
on February. JetBlue will also continue to have two daily flights to New York-JFK after the Holiday Season. Also, starting May 1, JetBlue will be adding a second daily flight to/from Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
On June 2, 2008, Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana is the national and international flag carrier of the Dominican Republic. It was created as a subsidiary airline for Pan American World Airways....
restored service between the Airport and Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
-Las Americas as well as to Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. These are two of the routes that is evidently under-served due to high demand and proximity of Aguadilla to the neighboring island.
On May 24, 2008, local leaders gathered at the airport to meet Democratic presidential candidate Hillary R. Clinton.
The capacity of the airport and its role as the main gateway to Porta del Sol, the airport is considered extremely undeserved, something that has caused indignation in the region, which accounts for one third of the Puerto Rico's total population, and the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city on a number of occasions to ask for the airport to be transferred to the city.
Statistics
This table shows the continuous growth of passenger traffic at the airport since 2001, but affected in 2009 by the lack of new flights:| Year | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 75,754 | 80,018 | 132,668 | 230,976 | 253,730 | 356,145 | 400,473 | 492,180 | 461,506 | 491,343 |
For year 2007 the airport transported 400,473 passengers, nearly a 500% increase in five years. Rafael Hernández Airport has an average of 51 regular passengers flights per week.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Boeing performed its altitude tests on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner in late January 2011. The airport hosted the sea level test. From Aguadilla the aircraft departed to the highest major commercial airport located in Bolivia to continue its tests.Governor Fortuño announces charter flights to Spain
The Governor of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
, announced at the International Fair of Tourism, in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, that charter flights to the Spanish cities of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
will commence on March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2011. The flights will begin in a weekly basis for a period of 6 months with goals of permanent service to the European cities. The flight to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
will be on Saturdays, while the one to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
will be on Sundays. They will be on a Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
with capacity for 214 passengers in a 18/196 configuration.
Airport Transfer to City Government
A project that will allow the City of Aguadilla to operate and develop its airport was passed by the commonwealth's House and Senate and currently awaits the signature of the governor, Luis FortuñoLuis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
.
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is studying expansion for the 3 main airports in Puerto Rico for 2011. Plans are underway to add service to Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa from the airport.Seaborne Airlines
Seaborne Airlines studies Aguadilla-San Juan service. Service will be from Aguadilla to San Juan Isla Grande Airport.FedEx plans distribution hub
FedExFedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
plans to expand its existing operations at the airport to make it its Caribbean distribution hub.
Act 67
Act 67 of May 22, 2008 establishes incentives for charter airlines offering service to the airport. It guarantees profit of up to 10%, 50% discount on landing fees, and matching dollar per dollar base on volume proyections/available seats.To benefit from the act Charter Airlines must carry 75% of the passengers on board with a 3+ nights reservation in a hotel in the region of 130 or less rooms.
Ahrens Airborne
Ahrens Aircraft due to set up operations at Punta Borinquen in Aguadilla to manufacture an aircraft known as the AR 404, was promised money by the Puerto Rican government to develop the airliner, but an investigation by the United States government prevented the money from getting to the company, and the project was called off with only two AR 404 airplanes built at Rafael Hernandez Airport http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/ahrens_ar-404.php.NASA Aviation Safety Program
Hernandez Airport will host the initial flights of the recently modified S-3 VikingS-3 Viking
The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-seat twin-engine jet aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy to identify, track, and destroy enemy submarines. In the late 1990s, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refueling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface...
. The Viking
S-3 Viking
The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-seat twin-engine jet aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy to identify, track, and destroy enemy submarines. In the late 1990s, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refueling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface...
was modified to become state-of-the-art icing research aircraft. This flights will seek to characterize the icing conditions that exist in the tropical convective layer of the atmosphere.
Facilities
Rafael Hernández Airport covers an area of 1600 acres (647 ha) which hosts the longest runway in the Eastern Caribbean.Runway
- Runway 08/26: 11702 foot, surface: asphalt
- With Blast Pads and Shoulders: 13440 foot
At the beginning of the airport, the runway was built in 1940 as part of the Borinquen Field Army Air Corps Base. In 1948 The base was renamed Ramey Air Force Base complex. Ramey was home to the Strategic Air Command and housed a number of B-36, B-47 and B-52s. Due to the size of the B-36 the runway at Ramey had to be built to a length of 11,702 ft and a width of 200 ft, added a 870 ft Blast Pad at each end and a 50 ft shoulder on each side.
North Side
The North side of the airport constitutes a passenger terminalPassenger terminal
Passenger terminal may refer to:*A train station terminus at the end of a railway line*Airport terminal, a building at an airport where passengers board and disembark from aircraft...
with an international side capable of handling flights of over 200 passengers. It also hosts the Main Cargo Terminal, the FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Terminal, and the General Aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
Terminal. The North side also houses the Copeca Jet Center Executive Terminal, as well as five service hangars. The military side of the airport is also located on the North side, housing the Air Station Borinquen, a United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
facility.
South Side
The South side of the airport is the largest portion of the airport, but is currently undeveloped. Since the airport was transferred to Puerto Rico Port Authority in 1973, the South side has been object of disputes and political campaign. Since then promises have been abundant, yet more than three decades later, the South side is still undeveloped. Under the administration of Sila M. Calderón and Aníbal Acevedo ViláAníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
a master plan was conceived to turn the South side into a cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
hub for the Caribbean. Local residents object to the use of the South side for Cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
rather than a modern passenger terminal.
Passenger terminal
The passenger terminalPassenger terminal
Passenger terminal may refer to:*A train station terminus at the end of a railway line*Airport terminal, a building at an airport where passengers board and disembark from aircraft...
was recently upgraded to include air conditioning, more space for modern airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
ticket counters and car rental
Car rental
A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee...
counters. It constitutes two "gates" gate 14 and 15. Gate 14 is use for departures, while Gate 15 is use for arrivals. The terminal is divided into two sections, the domestic and the international sides. The domestic side is equipped with a United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
facility, while the international side constitutes a United States Customs capable of handling up to 200 passengers.
Future expansion
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a master plan to redevelop the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla that will involve an investment of $1 billion over the next 20 years. PRPA plans call for the redevelopment of the Aguadilla airport on a scale that will rival LMM. The Aguadilla airport currently has two commercial passenger gates. The master plan calls for a total of 30 commercial passenger gates, 12 shy of the 42 commercial passenger gates that currently exist at LMM.There are plans to expand the road that give access to the airport.
Martinair is expanding its air-cargo operations to Aguadilla Airport. The expansion to Aguadilla will facilitate more flights (up to 12 a week by 2010) to and from the island and serve as a value-added cold-chain hub for the transport of flowers and produce from South America for consumption in Puerto Rico, the mainland U.S., Europe and other parts of the world.
There are official plans to renovate the runway enroute to house FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
expansion.
Passenger airlines and destinations
In the past American AirlinesAmerican Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
offered service to their hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
in Miami from Rafael Hernandez Airport. Miami, as well as other popular routes, currently lacks service from the airport. These markets include but are not limited to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Philadelphia, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Hartford, and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. These cities are home to some of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States, many of whom have ties to Aguadilla and the surrounding region.
In 2009 a United States Customs facility capable of handling 200 passengers was inaugurated at Rafael Hernandez Airport.
Cargo airlines
The cargo section of the airport is divided in two sections, the Main Terminal and the FedExFedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Terminal. The FedEx Terminal is home to FedEx and its local affiliates. Talks are currently going for FedEx to increase their operations at Rafael Hernandez Airport and turn Aguadilla in a hub and distribution center for the Caribbean. The remaining Cargo Carriers are located in the Main Terminal.
Road access
The airport can be accessed via two highways from .- Arecibo and Points East including IsabelaIsabela, Puerto RicoIsabela is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the north-western region of the island, north of San Sebastián; west of Quebradillas; and east of Aguadilla and Moca. Isabela is spread over 13 wards and Isabela Pueblo...
and Camuy are connected to the airport via SR-110.
- Mayagüez and Points south including downtown Aguadilla, RinconRincón, Puerto RicoRincón is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco . It is located in the Western Coastal Valley, west of Añasco and Aguada. Rincón is spread over 8 wards and Rincón Pueblo...
, and Cabo RojoCabo Rojo, Puerto RicoCabo Rojo is a municipality situated on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico and forms part of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area as well as the larger Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area....
are connected to the airport via SR-107.
Accidents and incidents
- On 26 April 1991, Douglas DC-3CDouglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
N136FS of Four Star Air Cargo was destroyed when a fire broke out in the cockpit whilst the aircraft was taxiing for take-off on a mail flight to Cyril E. King AirportCyril E. King Airport-Cargo:*Ameriflight *Four Star Aviation*FedEx-Accidents and incidents:On December 28, 1970, Trans Caribbean Airways Flight 505 made a hard landing and ran off the side of the runway. Two of the 48 passengers died in the subsequent fire....
, Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin IslandsCharlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands-Education:St. Thomas-St. John School District serves the community. and Charlotte Amalie High School serve the area.-Gallery:-See also:* Anna's Retreat* Cruz Bay* Saint Thomas* Water Island-External links:* *...
.