Queen Beatrix International Airport

Last updated

Queen Beatrix
International Airport

Internationale luchthaven
Koningin Beatrix

Aeropuerto Internacional
Reina Beatrix
AUALOGO.jpg
Roman Tokman Aruba Airport.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerAruba Airport Authority N.V.
Location Oranjestad, Aruba
Hub for Aruba Airlines
Focus city for Aerosucre
Elevation  AMSL 60 ft / 18 m
Coordinates 12°30′05″N70°00′55″W / 12.50139°N 70.01528°W / 12.50139; -70.01528
Website airportaruba.com
Map
Aruba location map (2).svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
AUA
Location in Aruba
Queen Beatrix International Airport
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
11/292,7438,999 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF [1]

Queen Beatrix International Airport( IATA : AUA, ICAO : TNCA), (Dutch : Internationale luchthaven Koningin Beatrix; Papiamento : Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix), is an international airport located in Oranjestad, in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba . It has flight services to the United States, Canada, several countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America, as well as some parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands. It is named after Beatrix of the Netherlands, who was Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013.

Contents

Overview

The airport offers United States border preclearance facilities. Unlike other preclearance airports, the airport does not have special provisions for avoiding the traditional US domestic procedure of physically walking baggage through customs inspection. Thus, US-bound travelers must first check baggage, pass through Aruba immigration to formally exit Aruba, collect baggage, pass through US CBP preclearance immigration and customs inspection, recheck baggage, and head to their gates.

A terminal for private aircraft opened in 2007. The airport used to serve as the hub for bankrupt airline Air Aruba, which was for many years an international airline. Before Aruba's separation from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 it was also one of three hubs for ALM Antillean Airlines as well as a home base for Tiara Air until 2016.

Since 2013 the airport is home to Aruba Airlines, a local airline. The airline has three Airbus A320 family aircraft and two Bombardier CRJ200. The main focus of Aruba Airlines is connecting the region through its hub.

History

The airport in 1973 197306 aruba airport.jpg
The airport in 1973

In 1934, Manuel Viana launched a weekly mail and passenger service between Aruba and Curacao, with A.J. Viccellio piloting Loening C-2H Air Yacht PJ-ZAA from a mud-flat runway. Commercial services were taken over by KLM from 24 December 1934. Later[ when? ] they were transferred to a graded runway known as the KLM field. [2] KLM’s Snip, the PJ-AIS a Fokker tri-motor, ushered in the scheduled flying age in Aruba on 19 January 1935. Together with the KLM’s “Oriol”, the PJ-AIO, also a three-engine Fokker, they flew until 1946, after which they were scrapped. On its bi-weekly Aruba-Curacao operations, KLM transported 2,695 passengers on 471 flights. [2]

During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force defending Caribbean shipping and the Panama Canal against German submarines. [2] The airfield was renamed Dakota Field; the terminal facilities became Dakota Airport. [2] Flying units assigned to the airfield were:

On 22 October 1955, the airport was named after Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands during a royal visit. It was renamed in 1980 after her accession to the throne. [2]

On 3 March 2021, American Airlines celebrated its 50 years flying to and from Aruba. [3]

Airlines and destinations

The air traffic control tower AUA control tower.JPG
The air traffic control tower
The baggage claim area AUA baggage claim.JPG
The baggage claim area
Welcome sign Sign at Aruba Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix).jpg
Welcome sign
The non-USA departures building Non-US departures building at AUA.JPG
The non-USA departures building
Walkway to security and US pre-clearance facilities AUA walkway to security.JPG
Walkway to security and US pre-clearance facilities

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Rouge Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson
Air Century Punta Cana, Santo Domingo–La Isabela
American Airlines Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare
Arajet Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Avianca Bogotá
Seasonal: Medellín–JMC [4]
British Airways Antigua, London–Gatwick
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul (resumes 20 December 2024) [5]
Divi Divi Air Curaçao
EZAir Bonaire, Curaçao
Gol Linhas Aéreas São Paulo–Guarulhos (resumes 18 December 2024) [6]
JetBlue Boston, Newark, New York–JFK
KLM Amsterdam 1
LATAM Perú Lima [7]
Sky High Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Orlando
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul
Sunwing Airlines Toronto–Pearson
Surinam Airways Paramaribo
Seasonal: Miami [8]
TUI fly Netherlands Amsterdam 2
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, Washington–Dulles
WestJet Toronto–Pearson
Winair Curaçao, St. Maarten 3
Wingo Bogotá, Cali, Medellín–JMC
Notes

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Aerosucre Bogotá
Ameriflight Aguadilla, San Juan
Amerijet International Miami, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo–Las Américas
DHL Aero Expreso Panama City, Curaçao
Liñeas Aereas Suramericanas Bogota
Vensecar Internacional Curacao, Panama City, Santo Domingo–Las Américas

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at AUA airport. See Wikidata query.
Busiest US routes from Aruba (2009–2010)[ citation needed ]
RankAirportPassengersCarriers
1
New York–JFK, New York
237,498
Delta, JetBlue
2
Miami, Florida
209,364
American
3
Newark, New Jersey
145,448
JetBlue, Continental/United
4
Atlanta, Georgia
139,547
Delta
5
Charlotte, North Carolina
120,362
US Airways/American
6
Boston, MA
113,910
JetBlue, Delta
7
Philadelphia, PA
67,993
US Airways/American
8
Washington–Dulles, VA
27,477
United
9
Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois
18,362
United, US Airways/American
10
Houston–Intercontinental, TX
15,727
Continental/United

Accidents and incidents

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

Citations

  1. "Airport information for TNCA". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Airport History" . Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. "Airport History" . Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  4. "Avianca expands connectivity between Medellin and Aruba". RoutesOnline. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  5. "Trade snow for sunshine: Delta's new flights from MSP to Aruba, St. Maarten and more". 21 June 2024.
  6. "Gol anuncia mais um destino no Caribe". Flap International (in Portuguese). 4 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  7. "LATAM Peru start flight to Aruba" . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  8. "Surinam Airways Increases Miami service From mid-Dec 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 2 December 2023.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency