Rafael Hernández Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rafael Hernández International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Hernández
IATA: BQN ICAO: TJBQ FAA LID: BQN
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Puerto Rico Ports Authority
Serves	Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Location	Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Hub for	Ameriflight Prinair
Elevation AMSL	237 ft / 72 m
Coordinates	18°29′42″N 067°07′46″W / 18.49500°N 67.12944°W / 18.49500; -67.12944
Map
BQN Location in Puerto Rico
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 08/26 11,702 3,567 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Aircraft Operations 39,101 Passenger movement 428,413 Based aircraft 42
Source: FAA GCM Google Maps passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority

Rafael Hernández International Airport (also called Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Hernández) is a big airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It is named after a famous Puerto Rican composer, Rafael Hernández Marín. This airport is the second busiest international airport in Puerto Rico for passengers.

It is located on the west coast of Puerto Rico, in a popular tourist area called Porta del Sol. The airport is also home to Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, which is a base for the U.S. Coast Guard. It also hosts a part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Did you know this airport has the longest runway in the entire Caribbean region?

In the past, many large airlines like Pan Am, American Airlines, and Delta Connection flew here. Even Turkish Airlines Cargo used to bring cargo. Today, it is the only airport in Puerto Rico that has flights from an Asian airline, Emirates Sky Cargo.

Airport History: From Military Base to Civilian Hub

Until 1974, this airport was a military base called Ramey Air Force Base. It was controlled by the Strategic Air Command (SAC). After it closed, it became a civilian airport. In the 1970s, it had flights from Prinair and even 707 passenger planes from Miami. The clothing company Wrangler Jeans also used to land planes full of cargo here.

In the mid-1970s, a company called Ahrens Aircraft Corporation tried to build planes at the airport. They wanted to make a special plane called the Ahrens AR 404, which could take off and land in short distances. The Puerto Rican government offered money to help. However, the project stopped after only two planes were built.

In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority decided to make the airport bigger and better. They wanted to add more space for flights and passengers. A new terminal building and a parking lot were built. These new parts opened on July 12, 2005.

The airport's control tower, which was part of the old military base, was not used for a long time. This meant planes had to communicate using a different system. But in 2006 and 2007, the control tower was fixed up. It started working again on July 5, 2007, helping planes land and take off safely.

In 2011, the airport was used to test the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane. In 2012, it was announced that the airport would become a "free trade zone." This means it can help businesses grow and develop the area around the airport.

In 2014, a company called Lufthansa Technik decided to open a maintenance center at the airport. They fix and repair Airbus A320 planes here. This helps create jobs and supports air travel in the Americas.

How Passenger Flights Grew Over Time

In 1988, Carnival Airlines and ATA started offering jet flights for passengers. In the 1990s, American Airlines joined them. Later, Pan Am (a new version of the airline) and TWA also flew here.

Carnival Airlines flew large Airbus A300 planes to New York, Newark, and Fort Lauderdale. They even had the first jet flights between Aguadilla and Ponce in Puerto Rico.

In 2000, North American Airlines started flying non-stop to New York three times a week. Then, Continental Airlines (which later merged with United Airlines) started daily flights to Newark.

In 2005, JetBlue Airways began daily flights to New York. After North American Airlines stopped flying, JetBlue added a second daily flight to New York.

In 2006, Delta Connection started flights to Atlanta. However, this service ended in 2007. Later in 2007, JetBlue also started flying to Orlando in Florida.

Spirit Airlines began flights to Fort Lauderdale in 2007. By 2008, Spirit increased its flights to Fort Lauderdale and added daily flights to Orlando. JetBlue also added a second daily flight to Orlando.

Airport Facilities: What's Inside?

Rafael Hernández Airport is very large, covering about 1600 acres. The airport and its runway were first built in 1940 as part of a military base. This base was later named Ramey Air Force Base. It was home to very large planes like the B-36 Peacemaker and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Because of these huge planes, the runway had to be built very long and wide. It is 11,702 feet long and 200 feet wide!

North Side of the Airport

The north side of the airport has the passenger terminal. This terminal can handle international flights with over 200 passengers. It also has the main cargo terminal, the FedEx terminal, and a terminal for smaller private planes. You can also find the Copeca Jet Center and five airplane hangars here. The military part of the airport is also on the north side. It includes Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen and the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.

South Side of the Airport

The south side of the airport is the biggest part, but it is not yet developed. Since the airport became a civilian airport in 1973, there have been many ideas about what to do with the south side. Some plans wanted to turn it into a big cargo hub for the Caribbean. However, local people wanted a modern passenger terminal instead. So far, the south side remains undeveloped.

Passenger Terminal Features

The passenger terminal has been updated with air conditioning and more space for airline ticket counters and car rental services. It has two gates: Gate 14 for arrivals and Gate 15 for departures. The terminal is split into two areas: one for domestic flights and one for international flights. The international side has a U.S. Customs inspection area that can handle up to 200 passengers at once.

Cargo Terminal Features

The cargo area of the airport has two parts: the Main Terminal and the FedEx Terminal. The FedEx Terminal is where FedEx and its local partners operate. There are talks about FedEx growing its operations here. They might even turn Aguadilla into a main hub for distributing goods across the Caribbean! Other cargo airlines use the Main Terminal.

Future Plans for the Airport

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a big plan to improve Rafael Hernández Airport. This plan will involve spending about $1 billion over the next 20 years.

There are also plans to make the road that leads to the airport bigger. The runway is also planned to be renovated to help with the expansion of FedEx operations.

Airlines and Destinations: Where Can You Fly?

Passenger Flights

JetBlue is the only airline that flies to all three main airports in Puerto Rico: Aguadilla, Ponce, and San Juan. In the past, American Airlines flew from Aguadilla to Miami. However, some popular routes, like Miami, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford, and Baltimore, do not have direct flights from this airport right now. Many people from these cities have family ties to Aguadilla and the surrounding area.

Cargo Flights

How to Get to the Airport

You can reach the airport using two main highways from PR-2.

• If you are coming from Arecibo or places to the east like Isabela, you can use PR-110.
• If you are coming from Mayagüez or places to the south like downtown Aguadilla, Rincon, and Cabo Rojo, you can use PR-107.

Images for kids

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  A special truck for aircraft rescue and firefighting at Rafael Hernandez Airport in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Hernández para niños