Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín
IATA: SJU – ICAO: TJSJ – FAA LID: SJU
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Puerto Rico Ports Authority
Operator	Aerostar Airport Holdings
Serves	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Location	Carolina, Puerto Rico
Hub for	Passenger Air Sunshine Cape Air M&N Aviation Seaborne Airlines Tradewind Aviation Cargo Ameriflight Mountain Air Cargo Skyway Enterprises
Focus city for	JetBlue Airways
Elevation AMSL	9 ft / 3 m
Coordinates	18°26′21″N 066°00′07″W / 18.43917°N 66.00194°WCoordinates: 18°26′21″N 066°00′07″W / 18.43917°N 66.00194°W
Website	www.aeropuertosju.com
Map
TJSJ Location in Puerto Rico
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 8/26 10,400 3,170 Asphalt 10/28 8,016 2,443 Concrete
Statistics (2012)
Aircraft operations 156,679 Passenger movement 8,448,172 Based aircraft 88
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] Operations from the FAA[2] passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority

The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (IATA: SJU, ICAO: TJSJ, FAA LID: SJU) (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín, unofficially known as Isla Verde International Airport/Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde) is a joint civil-military international airport named for Puerto Rico's first democratically elected governor and located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles (five kilometres) southeast of San Juan. It is the busiest airport in the Caribbean region by passenger traffic. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to the Federal Aviation Administration.^[3]

The airport is owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and managed by Aerostar Airport Holdings, a public-private partnership which was awarded a lease by the government of Puerto Rico to operate and manage the airport for 40 years beginning in 2013.^[4] SJU is the second international airport to be privatized in the United States and its territories, and, as of 2013, is the only currently privatized airport in the nation.^[5] Taxis and rental cars can transport travelers to and from the airport. The airport serves as a gateway to the Caribbean islands.

History

SJU's Control Tower

Until 1955, Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (Isla Grande Airport) was Puerto Rico's main international airport. This began to change at the start of the jet age, when many of the airlines that served Puerto Rico were changing from propeller to jet aircraft. Isla Grande's 5,000-foot (1,500 m) runway was not long enough for jets, so in 1951 Governor Luis Muñoz Marin authorized construction of a new airport. The airport would be a major meeting point for tourists and air cargo, and the home of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.

The airport opened on May 22, 1955 in the area known as Isla Verde in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It opened with one runway (Runway 8/26), the old tower, which today is on the top of the Airport Hotel, three terminals, and parking for 200 cars. In the late 1960s construction of Runway 10/28 began; it was finished by 1972. In 1985 Governor Rafael Hernández Colón named the airport after Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rico's first democratically elected governor. The airport served as a Caribbean hub for Pan Am, Trans Caribbean Airways, Eastern Air Lines, and as 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 and American Eagle established a hub to compete with Eastern Air Lines. American later ended hub operations due to flight capacity cuts and continued to operate a focus city until April 4, 2011. American Eagle service, operated by San Juan-based Executive Airlines with ATR-72s, was shut down on April 1, 2013. In the past, the airport has been served by now-defunct airlines like Caribair (based in San Juan), ATA Airlines, and Northwest Airlines.

Airport expansion

In 2008 the airport has been receiving major upgrades, including a new terminal (Terminal A), pavement and expansions, new light systems, press conference rooms, and new fast food restaurants along its corridors. New airlines have begun operating from San Juan to other international routes and destinations.

Over $400 million was used to expand the airport facilities through 2011. Terminal A opened on June 6, 2012 and is used by JetBlue Airways.^[6]

In 2013, Agustín Arellano, CEO of Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC, announced major upgrades to the airport. JetBlue's new Terminal A will also receive improvements.

Operations

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is Puerto Rico's main international gateway and its main connection to the United States. Domestic flights fly between Carolina and other local destinations, including Culebra, Mayagüez and Vieques. The airport is accessed from the San Juan district of Hato Rey, the island's financial district, via the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge. Old San Juan is accessed via the Baldorioty de Castro Expressway (PR-26).

Teodoro Moscoso Bridge connecting the city of San Juan to the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina

The airport serves as the Caribbean hub for Cape Air, Air Sunshine, and Seaborne Airlines, as well as a focus city for JetBlue Airways.^[7] JetBlue is the largest carrier in San Juan, with 51 daily flights on an average day.

Traffic statistics

Passenger statistics for SJU^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]}

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%
2011	7,993,381	5.9%
2012	8,448,172	5.7%
2013	8,347,119	1.2%
2014	8,569,622	2.7%
2015	8,733,161	1.9%

Terminals

Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has one main terminal building with four concourses and a separate terminal with one concourse. Terminal B reopened after a $130 million renovation in December 2014, with Delta, United, Southwest, and Spirit as its tenants (with all operations moved in by February 2015).^[14] Terminal C reopened from its $55 million renovation on March 2016.^[15] Terminal C services Volaris, Copa, Avianca, Condor, Norwegian, Liat, Air Antilles, Intercaribbean and American Airlines. Both terminals feature high-end retail stores and new restaurants, improved seating as well as automated baggage scanners currently used only by six other airports in the mainland U.S.

Airlines and destinations

Destinations with direct service from SJU

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Air Antilles Express	Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre Seasonal: St. Maarten	C
Air Canada	Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson	B
Air Century	Santo Domingo-La Isabela (begins August 15, 2016 pending government approval)[16]	TBD
Air Europa	Madrid	B
Air Flamenco	Culebra, Vieques	A
Air Sunshine	Anguilla, Dominica-Douglas-Charles, Nevis, St. Maarten, Saint Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda	A
American Airlines	Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York-JFK, Philadelphia	C
Avianca	Bogotá	C
Cape Air	Culebra, Mayagüez, St. Croix, Saint Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda	B
Condor	Frankfurt	C
Copa Airlines	Panama City	C
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, New York-JFK Seasonal: Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul	B
Dynamic Airways	Los Angeles (begins June 24, 2016)[17]	B
Iberia	Seasonal: Madrid (resumes May 15, 2016)[18]	B
Insel Air Aruba	Aruba	A
InterCaribbean Airways	Providenciales, Punta Cana, Tortola (begins June 1, 2016), Seasonal: Puerto Plata [19]	C
JetBlue Airways	Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando–International, Punta Cana, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo-Las Américas, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tampa, Washington-National	A
LIAT	Antigua, Dominica-Douglas–Charles, Tortola	C
National Airlines	Orlando/Sanford	B
Norwegian Air Shuttle operated by Norwegian Long Haul	Seasonal: Copenhagen,^1 London-Gatwick, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stockholm-Arlanda	C
Seaborne Airlines	Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica-Douglas–Charles, Fort-de-France, La Romana, Nevis, Pointe-à-Pitre, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo-Las Américas, St. Croix, Saint Kitts, Saint Thomas, St. Maarten, Tortola	B
Southwest Airlines	Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Houston-Hobby, Orlando–International, Tampa	B
Spirit Airlines	Fort Lauderdale Seasonal: Orlando–International	B
Sun Country Airlines	Fort Myers, Minneapolis/St. Paul	B
Tradewind Aviation	Anguilla, Nevis, Saint Barthélemy	A
United Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, Washington-Dulles Seasonal: Cleveland	B
Vieques Air Link	Vieques	A
Volaris	Cancún	C
WestJet	Toronto-Pearson	B
Winair operated by Air Antilles Express	St. Maarten	A

Notes

• ^1 Norwegian Air Shuttle's flight from Copenhagen to San Juan is nonstop, while the flight from San Juan to Copenhagen stops in St. Croix. However, the airline does not have fifth freedom rights to transport passengers solely between San Juan and St. Croix.

Charters

Airlines	Destinations
Air America	Destination varies
Air Sunshine	Anguilla, Dominica-Melville Hall, Nevis, Sint Maarten, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Curaçao, Barbados
Fly BVI Ltd - Caribbean Air Charter	Anegada, Tortola, Virgin Gorda
Miami Air	Seasonal: Punta Cana
MN Aviation	Destination varies
Orange Air	Seasonal: Orlando/Sanford, Punta Cana
Rainbow International Airlines	Anguilla
Songbird Airways	Seasonal: Punta Cana
Sunwing Airlines	Seasonal: Punta Cana
Swift Air	Seasonal: Havana, Punta Cana
World Atlantic Airlines	Seasonal: Cancún, Punta Cana
Xtra Airways	Seasonal: Punta Cana

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
ABX Air	Miami, Port-au-Prince
Air Cargo Carriers	Aguadilla, Antigua, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola
Air Sunshine	Anguilla, Dominica–Douglas/Charles, Nevis, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tortola, Vieques, Virgin Gorda
Ameriflight	Aguadilla, Aruba, Barbados, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas
Amerijet International	Miami
Contract Air Cargo	Antigua
DHL Aviation operated by ABX Air	Cincinnati, Greensboro
DHL Aviation operated by DHL Aero Expreso	Miami, Panama City
Etihad Cargo	Amsterdam, Bogotá, Milan
FedEx Express	Campinas–Viracopos, Memphis, Miami
FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo	Antigua, Pointe-à-Pitre, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tortola
UPS Airlines	Jacksonville, Louisville

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from SJU (Dec 2014 – Nov 2015)^[20]

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	New York City, NY (JFK)	631,900	American, Delta, JetBlue
2	Orlando, FL (MCO)	483,900	JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit
3	Miami, FL	390,380	American
4	Fort Lauderdale, FL	359,190	JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit
5	Atlanta, GA	261,660	Delta
6	Philadelphia, PA	182,620	American/US Airways
7	Newark, NJ	176,580	JetBlue, United
8	Chicago, IL	159,090	American, JetBlue, United
9	Tampa, FL	155,140	JetBlue, Southwest
10	Boston, MA	142,840	JetBlue

Busiest international routes from SJU (Jan 2014 – Dec 2014)^[21]

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
1	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	123,523	JetBlue, Seaborne
2	Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands	93,290	Air Sunshine, Cape Air, JetBlue, Seaborne
3	St. Croix, US Virgin Islands	69,905	Cape Air, JetBlue, Seaborne
4	Punta Cana, Dominican Republic	67,622	JetBlue, Seaborne, charter airlines (18,747)
5	Panama City, Panama	64,801	Copa
6	Tortola, British Virgin Islands	51,880	Air Sunshine, Cape Air, Seaborne
7	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten	29,826	JetBlue, Seaborne
8	Santiago, Dominican Republic	27,322	JetBlue, Seaborne
9	Bogotá, Colombia	15,805	Avianca
10	Toronto, Canada	13,922	Air Canada, WestJet
11	Caracas, Venezuela	13,242	American
12	Madrid, Spain	11,980	Air Europa
13	Frankfurt, Germany	11,153	Condor

Military

C-130 Hercules airplanes at Muñiz ANGB

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

Accidents and incidents

• On March 5, 1969, Prinair Flight 277, a de Havilland Heron from St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, was attempting to land at the airport when it crashed into mountainous terrain near Luquillo, killing all 19 on board. An NTSB investigation found that an air traffic controller at the airport mistakenly thought the aircraft was near San Juan when it actually was near Fajardo instead.^[22]
• On December 31, 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.
• On June 27, 1985, an American Airlines DC-10-10 registered N129AA operating Flight 633 to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with 257 passengers on board aborted take-off from runway 8 after a loud rumbling sound was heard by the crew as the airplane approached V1. Unable to stop the aircraft on the runway, the aircraft ended up nose-first in the lagoon at the end of the runway. A nose gear tire blowout was suspected. There were no fatalities, and aircraft returned to service six months later.^[23]
• On July 29, 1986, a Borinquen Air Douglas C-53D registered N27PR crashed into a lagoon on approach. The aircraft was on a cargo flight to Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis, when the starboard engine failed shortly after take-off and the crew decided to return to Carolina. One of the two crew members was killed,^[24] the other was seriously injured.^[25]
• On March 1, 1989, a Borinquen Air Douglas C-49J registered N28PR ditched on approach following a failure of the port engine.^[26] Although the landing gear was retracted, the crew did not feather the propellor. This resulted in increased drag which made flight impossible.^[27] The aircraft was on an international cargo flight from Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis.^[26]
• On September 17, 1989, a Tol Air Services Douglas C-47A registered N100DW was damaged beyond economic repair by Hurricane Hugo.^[28]
• On July 9, 1998, an American Airlines Airbus A300B4-605R registered N80057 operating flight 574 had a fire in the No. 1 engine shortly after takeoff from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. The airplane sustained minor damage. The captain, first officer, 7 flight attendants, and 215 passengers were not injured. Twenty-eight passengers reported minor injuries during the post-landing emergency evacuation.^[29]
• On September 24, 1998, a Trans-Florida Airlines Convair 240-13 registered N91237 had an engine problem on take-off. It attempted to return to the airport, but lost altitude and was forced to land in a salt water lagoon some 2 miles (3.2 km) short of the runway. Though the aircraft was written off, the two crew and one passenger were uninjured.^[30]
• On April 4, 2001, a Roblex Aviation Douglas DC-3A registered N19BA ditched in the ocean after suffering a double engine failure while on a local training flight. Both crew members escaped. The aircraft sustained minor damage.^[31][32]
• On May 9, 2004, an American Eagle ATR-72 operating flight 5401 crashed in San Juan, Puerto Rico after the captain lost control of the aircraft while landing. Seventeen people were injured, but there were no fatalities.^[33]
• On March 15, 2012, a Jet One Express cargo Convair 440 operating a flight to St. Maarten crashed near the airport, killing its two occupants. The plane went down in a lagoon after the pilot reported engine trouble.^[34][35]
• On August 9, 2014, a JetBlue Airbus A321 operating flight 704 to JFK International Airport, New York had to abort takeoff after one of the engines caught fire. All 186 passengers were evacuated from the aircraft. Two women were slightly hurt during evacuation.^[36]

In popular culture

• The airport is featured in Hunter S. Thompson's novel The Rum Diary.
• In the 1982 movie Conexión Caribe, music group Los Chicos arrived at the Luis Muñoz 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 Piñones. A Lockheed L-1011 aircraft is seen landing at Luis Muñoz 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 Island from the United States several times.

See also

• List of the busiest airports in the Caribbean

References

1. FAA Airport Master Record for SJU (Form 5010 PDF), effective March 15, 2007
2. "Air Traffic Activity System (ATADS)". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
3. CY 2010 Passenger Boarding Archived February 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
4. "Puerto Ricans protest deal with Mexican firm to run airport". EFE. February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
5. Sechler, Bob (February 26, 2013). "Puerto Rico Airport to Go Private". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
6. "JetBlue | Help". Help.jetblue.com. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
7. "JetBlue | Investor relations | Press Releases". Investor.jetblue.com. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
8. Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2001–2006 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
9. Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2002–2007 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
10. Passenger Movement LMM International Airport 2008–2009 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
11. Passenger Movement LMM International Airport Jul 2009 – Jun 2011 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
12. Carga y pasajeros aéreos y marítimos Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico
13. Información Financiera Aeropuertos del Sureste
14. "New Airport Terminal Opens in San Juan". Caribbean Journal. December 18, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
15. "LMM Airport officials unveil new $55M Terminal C". News Is My Business. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
16. http://airlineinfo.com/ostpdf96/864.pdf
17. "Dynamic Airways adds new Cancun/San Juan Service in S16". Airline Route. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
18. "En 2016, volamos directo a Putero Rico". Retrieved 2016-04-05.
19. http://airlineroute.net/2016/04/15/jy-eis-jun16/
20. "San Juan, PR: Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
21. "Air Carriers : T-100 Segment (All Carriers)". 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
22. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland DH-114 Heron 2D N563PR San Juan". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
23. NTSB/AAR-86/01/SUM
24. "N27PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
25. "NTSB Identification: MIA86MA217". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
26. "N28PR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
27. "NTSB Identification: MIA89FA096". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
28. "N100DW Hull-loss description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
29. "American Airlines flight 574, In-flight Fire, San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 9, 1998". www.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
30. Aviation Safety Network Retrieved November 27, 2006
31. "N19BA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
32. "MIA01IA110". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
33. "Crash During Landing, Executive Airlines Flight 5401, Avions de Transport Regional 72–212, N438AT, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 9, 2004" (PDF). Retrieved April 23, 2013.
34. "The Aviation Herald". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
35. "Cargo plane crashes in Puerto Rico with 3 on board". Archived from the original on May 1, 2012.
36. "De alta pasajeras heridas en accidente con de avión de JetBlue". El Nuevo Dia. 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2016-05-04.

External links

Media related to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective April 28, 2016
• 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