Queen Beatrix
International Airport

Internationale luchthaven
Koningin Beatrix
Aeropuerto Internacional
Reina Beatrix
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerAruba Airport Authority N.V.
LocationOranjestad, Aruba
Hub forAruba Airlines
Focus city forAerosucre
Elevation AMSL60 ft / 18 m
Coordinates12°30′05″N 70°00′55″W / 12.50139°N 70.01528°W / 12.50139; -70.01528
Websiteairportaruba.com
Map
AUA  is located in Aruba
AUA 
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, 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. 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 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 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

A Delta 737-800 bound for Atlanta parked at gate 4
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

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
British Airways Antigua, London–Gatwick
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Boston
Divi Divi Air Curaçao
Charter: Bonaire
EZAir Bonaire, Curaçao
JetBlue Boston, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Newark
KLM Amsterdam1
LATAM Perú Lima[4]
Sky High Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Orlando
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale
Sunclass Airlines Seasonal charter: Stockholm–Arlanda
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul
Sunwing Airlines Toronto–Pearson
Surinam Airways Paramaribo
Seasonal: Miami[5]
TUI fly Netherlands Amsterdam2
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark
Seasonal: Washington–Dulles
WestJet Toronto–Pearson
Winair Curaçao, St. Maarten3
Wingo Bogotá, Cali, Medellín–JMC
Notes
  • ^1 KLM's flights operate to and from Bonaire on selected days.
  • ^2 TUI Airlines Netherlands' flights operate between Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao on selected days. However, the airline does not have fifth freedom rights to transport passengers solely between Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
  • ^3 Winair's flights operate between Aruba and Sint Maarten via Curacao on selected days.

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 InternacionalCuracao, Panama City, Santo Domingo–Las Américas

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at AUA airport. See Wikidata query.
Busiest US routes from Aruba (2009–2010)
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.

See also

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. ↑ "LATAM Peru start flight to Aruba". Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "Surinam Airways Increases Miami service From mid-Dec 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 2 December 2023.

Bibliography

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

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