Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport

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Coordinates: 18°26′22″N 066°00′07″W / 18.43944, -66.00194

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (IATA: SJU, ICAO: TJSJ, FAA LID: SJU) is a public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico 3 miles (5 km) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The airport receives over 10 million passengers per year making it the busiest airport in the Caribbean in terms of movement of passengers, and it's owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

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 to 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. In the past, the airport has been served by Avianca, Mexicana, Lufthansa, Air France, ACES Colombia, British Airways, Air Jamaica, Viasa, Aerolineas Argentinas, Virgin Atlantic, Dominicana De Aviacion.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Operations

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the island's main international gateway and its main connection to United States mainland. Domestic flights fly between Carolina and other local destinations, including Aguadilla, Culebra, Mayagüez, Ponce and Vieques. The airport offers rapid access to San Juan, the capital of the island.

Facilities include a hotel, a barber's shop, beauty salons, souvenir kiosks, duty-free shops, a Banco Popular de Puerto Rico branch and several ATMs throughout the facilities.

The airport also serves as the Caribbean hub for American Airlines and American Eagle.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Terminals and airlines

Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has two terminals, the Main Terminal and the American Airlines Terminal. The original airport design had a different layout which consisted of three terminals B, C and D. New signing around the airport has changed this.

The Main Terminal houses Concourse A, B and Concourse C, while the American Airlines Terminal houses Concourse D and Concourse E. All airlines except American Airlines and American Eagle check in the Main Terminal. American Airlines and American Eagle check in the American Airlines Terminal.

[edit] Concourse A

Concourse A has 7 gates and serves all international arrivals/departures and charter flights: gates 42 - 48

• Air Canada (Montréal [seasonal], Toronto-Pearson)
• Condor Flugdienst (Frankfurt, Munich) [charter]
• Copa Airlines (Panama City)
• Iberia Airlines (Madrid)
• Martinair Holland (Amsterdam) [charter]
• Mexicana (Mexico City)
• Miami Air [charter]
• Monarch Airlines (Manchester, London-Gatwick) [charter]
• Omni Air International [charter]
• Pace Airlines (Cleveland, Phoenix) [charter]
• TACA operated by Lacsa (San José (CR))
• Sun Country (Minneapolis) [charters & schedule]
• Thomas Cook Airlines (Glasgow, Manchester) [charter]
• Thomsonfly (Glasgow, London Gatwick) [charters]
• XL Airways (Birmingham, Newcastle) [charter]

[edit] Concourse B

Concourse B has 11 gates: 31 - 41 (new concourse expansion project plan will add 6 more gates making it a total of 17 gates)^{[citation needed]}

• Air Culebra (Culebra)
• Air Sunshine (St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda)
• Cape Air (Mayagüez, Ponce, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques)
• Caribair (Santiago (DR), Santo Domingo) [Seasonal]
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, New York-JFK, Orlando [ends January 8])
• Isla Nena Air Service (Culebra, Fajardo, Vieques)
• LIAT (St. Maarten, St.Vincent, Port of Spain, Dominica)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul [seasonal])
• Pan Am World Airways Dominicana (Santo Domingo-Las Americas [begins April 2008], Santo Domingo-La Isabela [begins late 2008], Santiago (DR) [begins 2008])
• San Juan Aviation (La Romana, Punta Cana, Santiago (DR), Santo Domingo, St. Thomas)
• United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, St. Thomas)
  • Ted operated by United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles)
• Tradewind Aviation (St. Barth's)
• US Airways (Boston, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington-Dulles [seasonal])
• Vieques Air Link (Vieques)

[edit] Concourse C

Concourse C has 9 gates: 20, 22 - 29 (new concourse expansion project plan will add 5 more gates making it a total of 14 gates)^{[citation needed]}

• AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Orlando) [begins March 5]^{[citation needed]}
• Continental Airlines (Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
• JetBlue Airways (Boston [seasonal], New York-JFK, Orlando)
• Spirit Airlines (Atlantic City [seasonal], Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa [seasonal])

[edit] Concourse D

Concourse D has 8 gates: 11 - 12, 14 - 19 (new concourse expansion project plan will add 4 more gates making it a total of 12 gates)^{[citation needed]}

• American Airlines Gates 11 - 12, 14 - 19 (Antigua, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Caracas, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford/Springfield, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Santo Domingo, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tampa, Washington-Dulles)

[edit] Concourse E

Concourse E has 14 gates: 1A - 1F, 2 - 9 (new expansion project plan will add new check in area and passengers services)^{[citation needed]}

• American Airlines Gates 3 - 9 (see above)
  • American Eagle operated by Executive Air Gates 1A - 1F, 2 (Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Beef Island, Bonaire, Bridgetown, Curacao, Canouan, Dominica, Fort-de-France, Grenada, La Romana, Nevis, Pointe-a-Pitre, Port of Spain, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Samana, Santiago (DR), Santo Domingo, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas)

[edit] New Airlines

The following airlines have announced their intent to serve Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

• AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Orlando) [begins March 5]^{[citation needed]}

The airport operators are also in talks with Avianca, Aeropostal, TACA, Mexicana and Lan Chile to launch new air services once the new concourse A opens.^{[citation needed]} and are also in talks with British Airways, Lufthansa and Air Transat.^{[citation needed]} Iberia Airlines is slated to increase services once the new Concourse A opens.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Military/cargo ramps

[edit] Military ramp

• United States Air Force
  • Air National Guard
• Puerto Rico Air National Guard
  • Muniz ANGB
    • 156th Airlift Wing

[edit] Cargo services

• ABX Air
• Air Atlanta Icelandic
• Air Tahoma
• Ameriflight
• Amerijet International
• Arrow Air
• DHL
• Emirates World Cargo
• Evergreen International Airlines
• Federal Express
• Four Star Aviation
• LAN Chile Airlines Cargo
• Martinair Holland Cargo
• Roblex Aviation
• Tampa Cargo
• UPS
• USPS Airport Facility Ramp
• Volga-Dnepr

[edit] Airport expansion

As of 2006, the airport has been receiving major upgrades, including a new Concourse (Concourse A), reconstruction of runway 10-28, press conference rooms, an American Airlines Admirals Club located in Concourse C, and new fast food franchises along its corridors. These include Wendy's, McDonald's, Subway, Starbucks, Buffalo Wings and Taco Maker.

Over $400 million will be used to expand the airport facilities through 2011. The new concourse A will open in 2008 for all international arrivals/departures and charter flights. Concourse B, C & D will be expanded to accommodate new gates. Concourse E will be expanded to have its own check in counters and guest services. Pavement expansion, apron expansion and new light systems.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Incidents and accidents

• On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviacion 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 June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Isla Verde Airport, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport in Ponce.
• On December 31 of that same year, 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 lake. There were no injuries.
• 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. The aircraft was written off, but the two crew and one passenger were uninjured. ^[2]
• 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 one died.

[edit] References

1. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for SJU (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-03-15
2. ^ Aviation Safety Network retrieved 27 November 2006

[edit] External links

• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport official website
• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport at WikiMapia
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF)
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for TJSJ
  • ASN accident history for SJU
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker for TJSJ
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for TJSJ
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for SJU
  • Airport information for TJSJ at World Aero Data

it:Aeroporto di San Juan-Isla Verde ja:ルイス・ムニョス・マリン国際空港 zh:聖胡安國際機場