Rafael Hernández International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Hernández | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Puerto Rico Ports Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||
| Location | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 237 ft / 72 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 18°29′42″N067°07′46″W / 18.49500°N 67.12944°W /18.49500; -67.12944 | ||||||||||
| Website | https://aeropuerto-aguadilla.com/ | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  BQN Location in Puerto Rico | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||
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| Source:FAA[1][2] GCM[3] Google Maps[4] passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority | |||||||||||
Rafael Hernández Airport (Spanish:Aeropuerto Rafael Hernández) (IATA:BQN,ICAO:TJBQ,FAALID:BQN), also referred to as theRafael Hernández International Airport (Spanish:Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Hernández),[5][6][7] is an airport located in themunicipality ofAguadilla in northwesternPuerto Rico.[8] Named after the composerRafael Hernández Marín, it is thesecond-busiest airport of thearchipelago and island in terms of passenger traffic after the main airport ofLuis Muñoz Marín International. It is also home toCoast Guard Air Station Borinquen andU.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. Set to be modernized, the 11,702ft (2.2163mi) long runway of the airport is the longest in theCaribbean.[8][9][10][11][12]
In the past, the airport has been served by a number of passenger air carriers operating scheduled jet service includingAmerican Airlines,Arrow Air,Capitol Air,Continental Airlines,Kiwi International Airlines,Pan Am (II andIII),Trans World Airlines (TWA),Southeast Airlines,Aeronaves de Puerto Rico andDelta Connection,[13] and also byEtihad Crystal Cargo andTurkish Airlines Cargo on the cargo airline side.[14]Taesa flew in 1996 fromMexico City International Airport inMexico City,[15] and in 1985, Arrow Air operated domesticMcDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide body jet service on a once a week basis to the airport fromSan Juan (SJU) as well DC-10 nonstop flights six days a week fromJFK International Airport (JFK) in New York.[16][17]Pan Am III also flew jets between Aguadilla and San Juan during the early 2000s.[18] Currently, although the airport lacks non-stop flights toAsia, it is the only airport in Puerto Rico served by an Asian commercial airline, in this case byEmirates Sky Cargo.
In 1939, the Army sent Major George C. Kenney to Puerto Rico to conduct a preliminary survey of possible air base sites on Puerto Rico. He examined a total of 42 sites and declared that Punta Borinquen the best site for a major air base. Planted sugar cane farms covered some 3,796 acres (1,536 ha) that the government purchased for military use in the first week of September 1939 at a cost of $1,215,000. Later that year, Major Karl S. Axtater assumed command of what was to become Borinquen Army Air Field.
With the establishment of an independentUnited States Air Force in 1947, the complex was renamedRamey Air Force Base in 1948. Ramey AFB was home to aStrategic Air Command bombardment wing and housed a number ofB-36 Peacemaker intercontinental bombers. The B-36s were later replaced byB-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers andKC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, while a tenant weather reconnaissance squadron operatedWB-47 Stratojet andWC-130 Hercules aircraft. Due to the size and weight of the B-36, the runway at Ramey had to be built to a length of 11,702 feet (3,567 m) and a width of 200 feet (61 m), added an 870 feet (270 m)Blast Pad at each end and a 50 feet (15 m) shoulder on each side.
The closure of what became Ramey Air Force Base began in 1971 and lasted until 1973. Following its closure, it was converted into a civilian airport. It used to receive domestic commercial flights byPrinair andVieques Air Link[19] as well as service fromJFK International Airport in New York City withCapitol Air,[20] andBoeing 720 passenger flights from Miami operated bySoutheast Airlines.[21] It is also noted for being the place that the large clothing company,Wrangler Jeans used to land their planes filled with company-related cargo as part of their airline operation, Wrangler Aviation,[22] which was later renamed toSky Lease Cargo.
In the mid and late 1970s, theAhrens Aircraft Corporation attempted to set up operations at former USAF industrial facilities at the airport in order to manufacture theAhrens AR 404 regional airliner, a short takeoff and landing (STOL) turboprop aircraft, with financial incentives promised by thePuerto Rican government for development. However, a subsequent government investigation over these incentives ensued and the project was cancelled after only two AR 404s were built at Rafael Hernández Airport.
In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced that it would be remodeling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. An expansion of the terminal building and a new parking lot were among the projects in mind, with said expansion being inaugurated on July 12, 2005.
Since the closure of Ramey AFB in 1974, the airport's control tower had remained standing, but was non-operational, limiting the airport toUNICOM communication as an uncontrolled airport. Following refurbishment of the former USAF control tower in 2006 and 2007, the newly renovatedcontrol tower became operational on July 5, 2007.
On February 20, 2012, it was announced by both the mayor of Aguadilla and the U.S.Secretary of Commerce that the airport will be designated a "free trade zone" (FTZ), as are many other airports in the U.S., a move that is believed will improve the development of the airport and surrounding areas.
On April 10, 2014, Lufthansa Technik announced the creation of a maintenance, repair and overhaul center (MRO) at the airport. This created operations for maintenance of Lufthansa Aircraft flying on the Americas, starting with 2 reconditioning lines by C and D checks for the Airbus A320, with plans to expand up to 5 reconditioning lines.[23]
In 1988,Carnival Airlines andATA began passenger jet service. In the 1990s,American Airlines, joined those two airlines, followed byPan Am II andTWA.Carnival Airlines operatedAirbus A300 wide body jet service toJohn F. Kennedy International Airport in New York,Newark Liberty International Airport inNewark, New Jersey andFort Lauderdale International Airport inFort Lauderdale, Florida.[citation needed] In the early 1990s, Carnival Airlines also operated the first intra-Puerto Rican jet service from the airport toPonce withBoeing 727s as well as with wide bodyAirbus A300s. Another carrier,Prinair, also had previously conducted operations at Rafael Hernández Airport. North Cay Airways also provided passenger air service from San Juan at some time during the airport's history.[24] In 1995, American Airlines was operating daily nonstopBoeing 757-200 jet service to New York JFK airport with Carnival Airlines also flying nonstop to JFK at this same withBoeing 727-200 jet service three days a week.[25]
In 2000,North American Airlines had reopened passenger service with a non-stop flight to New York JFK three times a week. Later,Continental Airlines joinedNorth American with a daily flight to their hub inNewark. Continental has since merged withUnited Airlines, and the latter airline has continued to provide service.Boston-Maine Airways operating as Pan Am began jet service toOrlando Sanford International Airport in Florida and toSanto Domingo.
In 2005,JetBlue began a daily flight to their hub at New York JFK. Soon after the arrival of JetBlue,North American ceased operations. As a result, JetBlue announced that it would add a second daily flight to New York JFK.
In 2006,Delta Connection began regional jet service toAtlanta, Georgia, five times a week, although this service ended on January 20, 2007, as part ofDelta's restructuring plan. Later in 2007,JetBlue began service toOrlando International Airport in Florida.
In the summer of 2007,Spirit Airlines announced plans to begin service from the airport to their hub inFort Lauderdale, Florida, with a flight five times a week during the summer. It then reduced its service frequency to a flight two times a week.
In 2007, there were 59 flights per week including one daily flight toNew York City, one toNewark andOrlando and a flight operated five times per week toFort Lauderdale.
Spirit increased their flight frequency to daily to/fromFort Lauderdale. In addition,Spirit added a daily non-stop service toOrlando in February 2008.JetBlue continued to have two daily flights toNew York City after the holiday season, adding a second daily flight to/fromOrlando on May 1, 2008. On June 2, 2008,Pan Am World Airways Dominicana restored service between the airport andSanto Domingo-Las Americas as well as toPunta Cana in theDominican Republic.
On May 24, 2022, Frontier Airlines launched service for the first time to/from Orlando International Airport (MCO). The new service operates three to four times weekly and marks the airline's 13th route serving Puerto Rico from destinations in the U.S. and the Caribbean.[26]
Spirit eventually stopped all flights from Aguadilla in 2023.
Rafael Hernández Airport covers an area of 1600 acres (647 ha). BQN has one runway, 8/26: 11,702 ft x 200 ft (3,567 m x 61 m)Asphalt/Concrete.[1][27]
The north side of the airport consists of apassenger terminal with an international side capable of handling flights of over 200 passengers. It also hosts theMain Cargo Terminal, theFedEx Terminal, and theGeneral Aviation Terminal. The north side also houses theCopeca Jet Center Executive Terminal, as well as five service hangars. The military side of the airport is also located on the north side, housingCoast Guard Air Station Borinquen, aUnited States Coast Guard facility, as well as the141st Air Control Squadron (which operates at thePunta Borinquen Radar Station), a non-flying unit of thePuerto Rico Air National Guard. ManyFederal law enforcement agencies such as theU.S. Customs and Border Protection, theUS Border Patrol Ramey Sector in Map and theCBP Air and Marine Operations Operating Locations Southeast Region Caribbean Air and Marine Branch based their operations on this side of the airport.
The closure of what became Ramey Air Force Base began in 1971 and lasted until 1973. Following its closure, it was converted into a civilian airport. It used to receive domestic commercial flights byPrinair andVieques Air Link[19] as well as service fromJFK International Airport in New York City withCapitol Air,[20] and707 passenger flights from Miami withSoutheast Airlines.[21] It is also noted for being the place that the large clothing company,Wrangler Jeans used to land their planes filled with company-related cargo as part of their airline operation, Wrangler Aviation,[22] which was later renamed toSky Lease Cargo.
In the mid and late 1970s, theAhrens Aircraft Corporation attempted to set up operations at former USAF industrial facilities at the airport in order to manufacture theAhrens AR 404 regional airliner, a short takeoff and landing (STOL) turboprop aircraft, with financial incentives promised by thePuerto Rican government for development. However, a subsequent government investigation over these incentives ensued and the project was cancelled after only two AR 404s were built at Rafael Hernández Airport.
In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced that it would be remodeling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. An expansion of the terminal building and a new parking lot were among the projects in mind, with said expansion being inaugurated on July 12, 2005.
Since the closure of Ramey AFB in 1974, the airport's control tower had remained standing, but was non-operational, limiting the airport toUNICOM communication as an uncontrolled airport. Following refurbishment of the former USAF control tower in 2006 and 2007, the newly renovatedcontrol tower became operational on July 5, 2007.
On February 20, 2012, it was announced by both the mayor of Aguadilla and the U.S.Secretary of Commerce that the airport will be designated a "free trade zone" (FTZ), as are many other airports in the U.S., a move that is believed will improve the development of the airport and surrounding areas.
On April 10, 2014, Lufthansa Technik announced the creation of a maintenance, repair and overhaul center (MRO) at the airport. This created operations for maintenance of Lufthansa Aircraft flying on the Americas, starting with 2 reconditioning lines by C and D checks for the Airbus A320, with plans to expand up to 5 reconditioning lines.[23]
The south side of the airport is the largest portion of the airport, but is currently undeveloped. Since the airport was transferred from theU.S. Air Force and theGeneral Services Administration (GSA) toPuerto Rico Port Authority in 1973, the south side has been the object of various disputes and competing political campaign promises by local elected officials and local political candidates. Despite such promises over the past four decades, the south side remains undeveloped. Under the administration ofSila M. Calderón andAníbal Acevedo Vilá, a master plan was conceived to turn the south side into an air cargo hub for the Caribbean, but local residents objected to the use of the south side for cargo rather than a modern passenger terminal.
Thepassenger terminal was upgraded to include air conditioning, more space for modern airline ticket counters andcar rental counters. It consists of two gates, Gate 14 and Gate 15. Gate 15 is used for departures while Gate 14 is used for arrivals. The terminal is divided into two sections, domestic and the international, with the domestic side equipped with aUnited States Department of Agriculture facility, while the international side contains aUnited States Customs inspection facility.
The cargo section of the airport is divided in two sections, the Main Terminal and theFedEx Terminal. The FedEx Terminal is home to FedEx and its local affiliates. The remaining Cargo Carriers are located in the Main Terminal.
TheU.S Coast Guard and various reserve components of the Armed Forces maintain a military presence within the former Air Force base. ManyFederal law enforcement agencies such as theU.S. Customs and Border Protection, theUnited States Border Patrol Ramey sector and theCBP Air and Marine Operations Caribbean Branch operate at the airport.
A January 16, 2010, news report stated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a master plan to redevelop the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla that would involve an investment of $1 billion over the next 20 years. In 2010, the Aguadilla airport had two commercial passenger gates. The master plan calls for a total of 30 commercial passenger gates.[28]
There are also plans to expand the airport access road.[29]
There are official plans to renovate the runway to coincide withFedEx’s expansion.[30] There are plans to add a second runaway to the airport.
In June 2021, an official plan of expansion was announced by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and paid by the FAA. The expansion plan includes building a new runway to replace the current one completed by 2027 as the current runway has only five years left of service, having been built in the 1930s for World War II.
Aside from the new runway, a new passenger terminal and three new cargo warehouses are planned to be built. The Puerto Rico Ports Authority seeks to bring back airlines with the new expansion.[31] There are also plans to renovate the airport's facilities including bathrooms, relocating stores, adding jet bridges and more.[32]
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier Airlines | Miami,[33]Orlando | [34] |
| JetBlue | Fort Lauderdale,New York–JFK,Orlando | [35] |
| United Airlines | Newark | [36] |
JetBlue studied expansion for the 3 main airports in Puerto Rico for 2011 (Aguadilla, Ponce, and San Juan) and is one of two airlines that operate in all three airports, the other one being Frontier. In the past,American Airlines offered service to theirhub in Miami from Rafael Hernández Airport. Previously, the airport was closed due to the pandemic and passenger flights weren't permitted. On April 1, 2021, the airport reopened for passenger flights.
As of September 2025, the following cargo airlines which operate at the airport:
This table shows the continuous growth of passenger traffic at the airport since 2001, but affected in 2009 by the lack of new flights. For the year 2007, the airport transported 400,473passengers, nearly a 500% increase in five years. Rafael Hernández Airport has an average of 47 regular passengers flights per week.
| Year | Passengers | % Change | Year | Passengers | % Change | Year | Passengers | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 75,754 | – | 2009 | 461,506 |  6.2% | 2017 | 498,424 | 4.1% |
| 2002 | 80,018 |  5.6% | 2010 | 490,103 | 6.2% | 2018 | 608,352 | 22.1% |
| 2003 | 132,668 | 65.8% | 2011 | 471,226 | 3.9% | 2019 | 753,996 | 23.9% |
| 2004 | 230,976 | 74.1% | 2012 | 432,651 | 8.2% | 2020 | 149,162 | 80.2% |
| 2005 | 253,730 | 9.9% | 2013 | 407,664 | 5.8% | 2021 | 461,227 | 209.2% |
| 2006 | 356,145 | 40.4% | 2014 | 428,413 | 5.1% | 2022 | 699,525 | 51.7% |
| 2007 | 400,473 | 12.4% | 2015 | 412,565 | 3.7% | 2023 | 869,942 | 24.4% |
| 2008 | 492,180 | 22.9% | 2016 | 519,603 | 25.9% | 2024 | 738,766 | 15.1% |
| Carrier | Passengers (arriving and departing) |
|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways | 405,000(61.07%) |
| Frontier Airlines | 146,000(22.03%) |
| United Airlines | 112,000(16.90%) |
| Rank | City | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando, Florida | Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 141,080 | Frontier, JetBlue |
| 2 | New York City, New York | John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | 89,200 | JetBlue |
| 3 | Newark, New Jersey | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | 56,160 | United |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport (FLL) | 40,220 | JetBlue |
| 5 | Tampa, Florida | Tampa International Airport (TPA) | 1,740 |
The airport can be accessed via two highways from
PR-2.
