Queen Beatrix International Airport

Queen Beatrix International Airport Internationale luchthaven Koningin Beatrix Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix
IATA: AUA ICAO: TNCA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Aruba 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
AUA Location in Aruba
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 11/29 2,743 8,999 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.

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

In 1934, Manuel Viana launched a weekly mail and passenger service between Aruba and Curaçao, 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-Curaçao 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:

• 59th Bombardment Squadron (9th Bombardment Group) 14 January-24 September 1942 (A-20 Havoc)
• 12th Bombardment Squadron (25th Bombardment Group) 10 October 1942 – 23 November 1943 (B-18 Bolo)
• 22d Fighter Squadron (36th Fighter Group) 2 September 1942 – April 1943 (P-40 Warhawk)
• 32d Fighter Squadron (Antilles Air Command) 9 March 1943 – March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk)

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

The baggage claim area

Welcome sign

The non-USA departures building

Walkway to security and US pre-clearance facilities

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Air Canada Rouge	Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson
Air Century	Punta Cana, Santo Domingo–La Isabela
American Airlines	Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth,[ citation needed ] 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 [5]
Divi Divi Air	Curaçao
Frontier Airlines	Atlanta (begins 24 May 2025) [6]
Gol Linhas Aéreas	São Paulo–Guarulhos [7]
JetBlue	Boston, Newark, New York–JFK
KLM	Amsterdam 1
LATAM Perú	Lima [8]
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 (ends 31 March 2025) [9] [10]
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
Z Air	Bonaire, Curaçao

Notes

• ^1 KLM's flights operate to and from Bonaire on selected days.
• ^2 TUI Airlines Netherlands' flights operate between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao on selected days. However, the airline does not have fifth freedom rights to transport passengers solely between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
• ^3 Winair's flights operate between Aruba and Sint Maarten via Curaçao on selected days.

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Aerosucre	Bogotá
Ameriflight	Aguadilla, San Juan
Amerijet International	Miami, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo–Las Américas
DHL Aero Expreso	Curaçao, Panama City–Tocumen
Vensecar Internacional	Curaçao, Panama City–Tocumen, Santo Domingo–Las Américas

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at AUA airport. See Wikidata query.

Busiest US routes from Aruba (2009–2010)^{[ citation needed ]}

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
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

• On 13 January 2010, an Arkefly Boeing 767-300 (registration PH-AHQ), operating Flight 361 from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Queen Beatrix International Airport, declared an emergency after a man claimed to have a bomb on board. A struggle with the flight crew ensued, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland. Gardaí stormed the plane and arrested the man; he was taken to Shannon Garda police station. A passenger who had recently had surgery collapsed in the terminal while waiting for the continuation of the flight, and had to be taken to a local hospital. The replacement aircraft, PH-AHY, also a Boeing 767-300, continued the flight to Aruba. ^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• Trams in Oranjestad

References

Citations

1. "Airport information for TNCA". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Data current as of October 2006.
2. "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. "Frontier Airlines 2Q25 Atlanta Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
7. "Gol anuncia mais um destino no Caribe". Flap International (in Portuguese). 4 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
8. "LATAM Peru start flight to Aruba" . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
9. "Surinam Airways Increases Miami service From mid-Dec 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
10. "Surinam Airways NS25 Aruba / Curacao Service Changes". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 11 February 2025.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer Maurer (1 January 1982). Air Force Combat Units of World War II: History and Insignia. Zenger Publishing Company, Incorporated. ISBN   978-0-89201-092-9.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-405-12194-6. LCCN   70605402. OCLC   72556.

External links

• Official Website
• Current weather for TNCA at NOAA / NWS
• Accident history for AUA at Aviation Safety Network