Rafael Hernàndez International Airport

Rafael Hernàndez International Airport codes are IATA: BQN, ICAO: TJBQ, and FAA LID: BQN. The BQN airport is a civil/military airport, located in Aguadilla, in Puerto Rico. The airport holds the name of the famous Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernàndez Marin. In terms of passenger movement, Rafael Hernàndez International Airport is the second largest international airport in Puerto Rico. The airport is home to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations’ Caribbean Branch, and also to the Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen.

Rafael Hernàndez International Airport

General International

Rafael Hernàndez International Airport codes are IATA: BQN, ICAO: TJBQ, and FAA LID: BQN. The BQN airport is a civil/military airport, located in Aguadilla, in Puerto Rico. The airport holds the name of the famous Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernàndez Marin. In terms of passenger movement, Rafael Hernàndez International Airport is the second largest international airport in Puerto Rico. The airport is home to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations’ Caribbean Branch, and also to the Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen.

Throughout its history, major carriers such as Pan Am, Capitol Air, American Airlines, Kiwi International Air Lines, Delta Connection, and TWA served the airport.

The airport is owned and operated by Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

History

In the late 1930s, Major George C. Kenney examined 42 sites to detect an air-base in Puerto Rico. In 1939, he declared, that the best place for the army airfield was Punta Borinquen. The airport started serving local flights in 1973 after the Prinair and Capitol Air began operating at the airport.

In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority decided to remodel and expand BQN to attract more passengers and airlines. The project of renovation started in 2005. In 2012, Rafael Hernàndez International Airport became a "free trade zone," like many other airports in the United States.

iN 2000, North American Airlines started non-stop flights to New York. With a daily flight to Newark, Continental Airlines also began serving the airport. Later Delta Connection, Spirit Airlines, and JetBlue also started operating at the BQN.

Capacity

Rafael Hernàndez International Airport is spanned on 1600 acres, which is approximately 647 HA. The airport has only one runway, with an asphalt/concrete surface, and the runway is 11,702 feet in length. According to the FAA(Federal Aviation Administration) statistics, the airport served 504,380 passengers in the year 2016.

In 2014, there were 42 based aircraft at Rafael Hernàndez International Airport, serving 39,101 operations in the whole year.

The airport has the North and Southside. On the north side of the airport, there is a passenger terminal, with its international section, which can handle flights of over two hundred passengers.

The south side of the airport is not fully developed. The plan is to make this side of the facility into the cargo hub for the Caribbean.