Queen Beatrix International Airport

Airport in Oranjestad, Aruba

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^[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:

• 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

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

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

Statistics

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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) 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. "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

 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